Zootopia 2
by Flame of the Dark
Summary: Five years after the missing mammal case, Judy and her beloved vulpine companion have earned their place within the ZDP and each others lives. Yet the happiness takes a tragic turn when old 'friends' of Nick's come to light. In wake of his disappearance, Judy enlists help of Nick's old friend Tao Kitsing, but together, can they save Nick, or is he forever lost from their lives?
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone bright in the sky, it's golden glow falling upon the great city of Zootopia. The rays seeped through the blinds of Judy's apartment, landing on her face.

The rabbit awoke, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she kicked the blanket off of her. Flinging her feet off the side of the bed, she stood up, looking around for her foxy companion - Nick Wilde, yet she saw no sign of the sly fox. She changed into her police uniform, grumbling as her ear's flopped down in front of her face half way through. she brushed her ears out of the way, and they hung uselessly behind her as she walked to the blinds, before hopping up and pulling on the chain - causing the blinds to fly open every quickly, allowing the light to flood into the room, reflecting off the pictures of her and Nick on the bedside desktop.

She smiled at the pictures, before averting her attention to the mirror, making sure her uniform was in perfect condition. Once she was satisfied, she walked out of the apartment, spotting a few of the new rabbit officer recruits. She walked over to them, slightly nervous - not all of these new officer's were accepting of her relationship, yet the rest of them thought it was rather cute, and always teased her and Nick about it (in a playful way of course). She and Nick had grown fond of the friendly teasing from inter-species supporters, and it helped them ignore the hate they received from... well... haters.

Pretty soon the rabbits had spotted their teacher approaching, and had ran up to greet her, some more enthusiastically, while two stayed quiet at the back, those two being the haters.

"Miss Hopps!" they shouted.

"Hi guys!" she shouted back, laughing as they ran into a group hug with her.

"I still can't believe I'm in the police! and it's all thanks to you and Mr Wilde" one of the girls shouted with joy.

"Hey, you don't need to keep thanking me and Nick about that" she chuckled.

Finally the two dark blue rabbit's approached, acting more professional. "Good morning Miss Hopps" the taller one replied, while the shorter one fidgeted nervously around.

Judy looked at the one who spoke, replying a slightly more serious tone of voice "Hi Mitch." before turning to the smaller and rabbit and speaking in a friendly tone again. "Hey Brian"

Brain didn't reply, instead just looking Mitch nervously. Judy saw his nervousness, and decided to take the attention of off him - much to his relief. "Right, first things first... has anyone seen officer Nick at all?" she asked them.

"Oh, Miss Hopps. Chief Bogo said he wanted to speak with Nick, I don't know what about" Megan informed the officer.

"Thank you Megan.. Well it looks as though we won't have Nick joining us right now recruits" she told them, receiving a few moans in response, especially from the three girls. "He'll join us later, don't worry yourselves" she chuckled, receiving small "yes" from the same three.

Judy led the group around the police station, making light-hearted conversation with them, chuckling at the jokes made by the golden bunny walked beside her, the groups witty little bunny - Harry Hill. The three girls walked just behind Judy, having a quiet conversation amongst themselves. Mitch trotted slowly at the back of the group, keeping his attention away from the rest of the group. His gaze turned to the smaller dark blue rabbit when he heard his name be whispered.

"What Brain?" he asked him.

"why do you hate inter-species so much?" Brian whispered.

"it's just wrong, how can you justify falling in love with anyone. It's just.. wrong, a fox and a rabbit" he informed Brian.

"Ok, I just don't understand it though, your against relationships like Miss Hopps and Mr Wilde, but you were fine with that vixen and that wolf inter-species relationship... isn't that a bit hypocritical." Brain questioned

"no it isn't. In case you forgot... Brian... she was in a relationship with a fox named Wolf..." he reminded, muttering something under his breath.

Brian backed down, now slightly intimidated by the other male.

.

Finally, the group came to a empty room, that looked massive to the rabbit's - when in reality, it was about the size of a school classroom. "Meet back here in 30mins, understood recruits" she ordered, receiving a collective bunch of "Yes Mam" in response, before they all dispersed.

"Judy is so cool" a small turquoise rabbit commented.

"No kidding... She and Nick are the best trainer's ever. Well, at least the girls think so" Harry chuckled.

"Haha, I know." A small black and white rabbit commented.

"Hey... Girls, come here a second" the three shouted in unison, and were almost instantly joined by the three girls.

"What?" Megan asked.

"I dunno" the boys replied in unison, laughing as they did so.

Megan grumbled to herself, before leaving the boys alone to their antics.

"Hey Lauren, come to think of it - where's Ashley and Molly today" Megan asked her blonde friend.

"I don't know. I texted Ashley earlier, but she never texted back. And Molly, well you know what she's like. She NEVER turns up unless Ashley's here." Lauren replied.

"Hey Carrots!" a familiar voice called, the owner walking out of the shadows of the corridor.

"Nick!" Judy shouted, alerting the recruits to his presence.

"Nicky boy!" the boys shouted in unison, running up to the fox and high fiving him.

"Hey, hey boys" he greeted as he high fived them one by one.

"Nick!" the girls then shouted as they ran up to hug him, and he hugged them back, looking at Judy, who stood their chuckling at his attention.

Finally, it was Mitch and Brian who approached him, and Mitch spoke in a slightly more respectful tone, slightly intimidated by Nick. "Hi Mr, Wilde" he said.

"Greetings Mr Wilde" Brian spoke in a kind manner.

Nick smiled and greeted them back, before walking up to Judy, who now stood on a chair, making her eye-level with Nick. The two shared a quick kiss, earning loud 'awws' and 'that's so cute' from the others.

The two led the rest of the recruits round the rest of the station, laughing and joking as they did so.


	2. Chapter 2: Comfort

Judy and Nick returned to their apartment, both heavily exhausted from training thsoe new recruits.

"Oh, they can be a handful can't they" Nick chuckled as he shut the door to their room.

The apartment was lit up dimly in the moonlight, as the soft winter chill seeped in through the half-open window. The soft cool air filled the room, as Nick approached the window, closing it. He looked out to the clear night sky, illuminated with thousands of beautiful stars that shone bright against the darkness.

His gaze faltered slightly as Judy hopped up next to him, gazing up at the stars while holding his paw with her own. She allowed a smile to make it's way across her face as she leaned back into Nick, allowing his body heat to warm her up in the cold. The stars kept shining bright, however a certain few brightened up, and they formed the shape of a heart. The two looked to the middle photo on the desktop, that showed the same star formation, with both Judy and Nick's heads in the centre of it.

"This is nice, isn't it Carrots?" Nick asked softly, "just you, me, and the stars in the sky"

Judy didn't say anything, just sighing happily at the chance to be in Nick's loving embrace once again, but something was eating at the back of her mind, Nick had been... so distant lately - today was the first sign of affection he had shown in at least two weeks. She decided to ask Nick about it.

"Nick?" She started.

"Yes Judy?" He asked.

"Well it's just... these past two weeks, you've been really distant. What's wrong?" She asked him, curious and concern in her voice.

"Nothing's wrong Judy. Nothing" he replied, trying to sound re-assuring, yet Judy knew he was lying.

"No Nick... Seriously what's wrong?" She asked him, now conerned greatly.

"I said it's nothing" he snapped, before instantly apologising "I'm sorry, Carrots, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that"

"It's ok Nick, just tell me, what's wrong. I know your lying." She insisted.

"Well... It's just all these things that inter-species hater's are saying. I guess, it's just starting to get to me. Plus their right" he sighed.

"Nick, just ignore them... Wait what do you mean their right? Right about what?" She asked him.

"Their right, about me. I don't deserve you Judy. I mean, look at everything you've accomplished, compared to what I've done. You can do hundreds of times better then me..."

"No Nick, you've done so much. The missing mammal's case..."

"Your the one who did most of the work, your the one who took the risks and everything... What did I do?" He cut her off, "I don't deserve you Judy"

"Nick... Just ignore them, they're just hater's. They don't understand Nick... It's not about what you've done or haven't done. I don't care whether they say your not worthy of me, because all that matter's to me is that you love me and I love you. Nick, we don't need them, we just need to know deep within our hearts that we love each other, and that nothing can ever break that love we share. Nick - always remember that I love you, your perfect for me... And never let anyone tell you otherwise." She spoke softly to him as she looked towards the heart stars.

"I guess... your right Carrots... Hey Carrots?"

"Yea?"

"Do I ever tell you that I love you... Cause I love you"

Judy giggled as she hopped down, while Nick drew the curtains. They both changed out of their uniforms, and Nick slid into bed, Judy hopping up and snuggling deep into his chest.

"Love you" they both whispered as they drifted into sleep.

.

Nick awoke early in the morning, while Judy still slept soundly next to him, her breathing soft and relaxed. The fox looked at her, re-playing what she said last night in his mind. He slowly moved his body away from Judy, careful to not disturb her peaceful rest. He walked to the window, carefully opening the blinds to gaze up at the fading stars, as the first light of the sun started to appear on the far horizon. Nick looked towards the still vibrant heart shape in the sky, which was now fading alongside the rest of the stars. Nick heard a small groan behind him, and he turned to find Judy waking up and looking towards him, her right ear covered her eye, while her left draped itself over her shoulder.

"What's wrong Nick?" she yawned.

"I just... Couldn't sleep."

"Nick, please tell me you still weren't thinking about wthat the haters are saying. I promise you, they don't know what they're talking about. You are everything a girl could wish for; funny, sweet, romantic, cute everything. Nick you are perfect for me, and like I said last night... Don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise." She comforted the worrying fox. Judy hopped over to Nick, and held his paw as they both watched the sun-rise.

"Anyway... We got a free day today - Harry, Megan and the rest of the recruits aren't being trained today... So what you wanna do?" She asked her boyfriend, who shrugged.

"Crystal park looked beautiful this time of year. We should go there for a bit. It's really nice." He suggested.

Judy was almost too eager to disagree - she had been to Crystal park during the summer, but never at this time of year. She nodded, and the two put on some of their more nice clothes before leaving the apartment.


	3. Chapter 3: A day out

Judy and Nick both walked through the crisp snow of Crystal park - admiring the beauty of the start of winter. Despite the bright sun, the autumn chill floated throughout the park - carrying few snowflakes down to the ground from the sky. One of such snowflakes settled upon Nick's nose, melting into his fur. His tail trailed behind him lazily, dragging against the surface of the snow that had settled over the night. They stopped as they came to a small lake in the heart of the park.

"Beautiful, isn't it Carrot's" Nick sighed.

"Yes" she replied blissfully. It had been so long since she and Nick had done something like this - and she missed it SO much. She shivered as the cold began to pick up, and Nick noticed it.

"Cold?" He asked her - receiving a nod in response.

With no delay, Nick crouched down and picked Judy up, and she quickly rushed into the hood of his coat, snuggling deep into it, her head poking just over the top of Nick's. Her ears dropped down against her small form, helping her to warm up. Nick's body heat radiated throughout the surrounding air - massively warming up the shivering rabbit that sat in his hood.

"Better Hopps?" he asked her.

"Much better" she sighed.

The fox walked through the park, leaving a trail of paw prints in his wake. The duo came to a small bench, that was sheltered inside a small hut. He walked inside, finding that it was already occupied by a snow-white coloured vixen, who waved kindly towards the duo, before getting up and leaving out the door.

Nick couldn't take his eyes off the vixen, she reminded hin off someone he knew as a kit, but his memory was faded and fuzzy.

"Nick - you alright?" Judy snapped hin out of his trance. Shaking his head, he looked away from the vixen - who had long since disappeared.

"Yea... Sorry Carrots - just zoned out a second their." he replied, trying to forget about the vixen. He walked up to the bench - and sat down, just as Judy hopped out of his hood, before snuggling up against his side. The two looked towards the small lake than ran infront of them - littered with leaves from the trees.

Their gaze's turned away from the lake, to each other. The small rabbit looked deep into his eyes - seeing them full of love for her - just as strong as it was when she first saw it. Her heart fluttered just like it did that day she realised he loved her - and like it does everytime she sees that love. She leaned up to Nick, and met his lips with hers in a passionate kiss. She pushed into the kiss, determined to show Nick how much she loved him.

After a few seconds - their lungs screamed for air, and the two parted from each other - both breathing deeply. Judy looked away, her cheecks red while her ears hung bashully over her shoulder. She looked towards Nick as she heard him chuckle.

Judy hopped up back into Nick's hood, snuggling deep into it once again as Nick stood up, leaving the small hut.

The longer they walked through the park - the more bugged Nick began to feel about that vixen. 'Why does she seem so familiar?' He asked himself, but he tried to ignore it. The fox walked through the snow, kicking up patches of it as his paws dragged across the ground. He decided to make the day more interesting, and he turned off the path into the trees.

The branches cracked as creaked under the weight of the snow on them, and all to suddenly a small patch of it dropped onto Nick's head, waking the resting bunny in the process.

"Nick, where are we going?" Judy asked.

"Possibly the best part of the park, especially when the sun is near setting." He told her softly. "Just rest Carrots, and I'll let you know when we get there."

"Fine" she yawned, before curling back into a small ball, using her ears as a blanket as she drifted back into sleep.

He kept walking through the forest, his eye's focusing on his destination - that was hidden faintly beyond the tree line. He gazed around the forest as he slowed his movements, spotting the same vixen from earlier creeping through the woods, before vanishing in mid air.

'Great, now even my eyes are playing tricks on me - but what is it about her?" He asked himself. Finally he reached the edge of the tree line, coming to a large clearing in the woods, that had a massive lake on one of the sides.

"Judy, look at the lake" he whispered to the small female, who awoke and looked at the water, glowing and shining in the light of the setting sun. The massive golden orbs rays spread across the water, casting a heavenly glow upon it. The duo sat on the edge of the water, watching as the sun set, an the water began to glow from the light of the stars and the moon. Judy drew an image into the sand on the waters edge, and Nick looked once it was finished.

It was the image of a perfectly shaped heart - with the letters 'N' and 'J' written inside of it. She looked to the side as Nick drew something into the sand, but she acerted her gaze until he was finished. After a few seconds, she returned her gaze, and drew into the sand infront of Nick, was a very detailed sketch of her and Nick - holding paws and standing inside a large heart, with the words 'Love with Heart and Soul' written above it. The two lovers fell asleep on the sand, resting comfortably next to each other.

As dawn broke, Judy awoke to find Nick was still resting peacefully, but their drawings had been washed away. She spotted Nick's phone on the waters edge, and she went to collect it - in the process noticing it was showing a message from a vixen called 'Tao' that read "Can't wait to meet you again Nick - It's been so long."


	4. Chapter 4: Do you love me?

'Can't wait to meet you again Nick - It's been so long'

Those words kept rushing around her head - 'Who was Tao? What did she mean?' The rabbit pace back and forwards nervously - terrifed of what it could mean - 'No...Nick isn't like that' She kept telling herself, however the more she did, the more she started to doubt it. 'No... Judy - your just paranoid. Nick loves me, he doesn't love anyone else - Does he?' She started to hyper-ventilate, but she managed to calm herself down slightly.

Nick's phone vibrated again, and Judy spotted another message from the same vixen. She averted her eyes, not wanting to read the message that Tao had sent to Nick. The sound of Nick shifting in the sand caused the small female to look in his direction, in the process reading the second message from Tao. She couldn't help it - her doubts were growing stronger as she looked at the second message. "No... I'm seeing things." She assured herself, hoping that - for some reason - the cold temperature was playing tricks on her mind, but the longer she looked at it, the more she realised it was real - not a cruel trick.

Nick stirred as the sun's ray fell upon his sand coated fur, and Judy managed to calm herself down enough to act like she hadn't seen the messages. "Morning Nick" she commented, pretending as though she had only just woken up herself.

"Still tired, Carrots?" he asked her - his voice sounding just as loving as always - though Judy didn't believe that tone at all. The fox spotted his phone lying not too far away from him, but he thought nothing of it, just gently grabbing the phone and placing it in his pocket.

He pulled the phone back out of his pocket and checked the messages he had been sent, though he thought nothing of the ones sent by Tao - no 'Who's she?' Nothing to suggest that this girl had gotten the wrong Nick's phone number. Judy started to doubt him even more now.

She thought about it deeply - peicing all the 'facts' together. He had been so distant the past few weeks - in everysense: physically and emotionally - and now... these messages from this girl that Nick seemed to know. They just felt too intertwined with each-other. Her heart was starting to grow heavy from just the thoughts alone that Nick could be seeing someone else. 'No - Nick wouldn't do that - would he?' She told herself again, as she climbed into Nick's hood, before he began walking back to the main heart of the city.

.

"Hopps, I have some buisness I need to attend to. I'll see you later, love you." He said, before walking away without so much as a kiss goodbye.

The rabbit spotted a small group of rabbits, all of which she recognised instantly as the recruits. She walked over to join them, the doubt already resurfaced, obvious in her eyes. Her ears dropped over her shoulders, and hung lifelessly.

The black and white bunny spotted her approaching, and he passed on the information quickly to the others.

"What are you guys doing here? You aint in training today." She questioned.

"We know that, but we thought we'd come here and meet up." Luke anwsered her.

The young blonde spotted the doubt Judy was feeling, yet she felt awkward about bringing up such a topic. As if to make it easier, Megan asked about Nick. "Where's Nick gone?"

"Nick's...gone... I don't know..." Judy sighed.

"Ok, out with it - what's wrong Judy?" Lauren asked her.

Judy struggled to find her words - her heart was already in so much pain from this doubt, and now - her recruits had picked up on it. "It's...Nick..." was all she could whisper, her voice soft and delicate - scared.

"What about Nick?" Megan asked, now concerned.

"It's just... Everything about him... He's not the same, he's been so distant lately, physically, emotionally. He's been more sercretive as well, not like... you know... 'sly fox' secretive, but like 'something to hide' secretive. And this morning, he had a message from a random vixen, who I've never heard him mention, and she was saying things like 'Can't wait to meet you again.' She struggled to explain.

"Judy, your probably just over-complicating things. That text could mean anything, for all we know, this vixen could have just gotten the wrong number." Luke tries to console her.

"But Luke, Nick know's her, and everything is just too damn intertwined to be a bunch of coincidences. And that last message she sent him, oh god... It's just... I can't think about this anymore." She began to tear up.

"Hey, shuh it's ok... You don't have to say anymore. We're here for you. If you ever need to talk, you know how to contact us. We're your friends Judy, and we never leave our friends alone when they need us. Ok... Just remember that." Lauren calms Judy, as she and Megan both give her a comforting hug, wiping the tears that stained Judy's fur away in the process.

.

Judy was sitting alone in her apartment, late at night, waiting for Nick to come back. The only light being emitted in the dark was from the bedside lamp, which shone onto the pictures, that Judy dared not look at. Her eyes looked outside, noticing tonight was cold and dark, the stars hidden behind a wall of grey clouds. She heard movement approaching the door to her room, but she knew it wasn't Nick, they were too heavy... well that and they had already walked past the door.

Another set approached the door, sounding lighterand faster than the first set, and she knew these steps belonged to Nick. The door to the apartment opened, and the fox walked into the room.

"Your still up?" He asked her.

"Yes." Was all she replied.

"Judy, what's wrong? Is everything ok?" He asked his loved one.

"Nick, why are you so distant to me, why are you so secretive about nearly everything?" She asked him, turning away from the window, to looking at him.

"Judy, have you been crying?" He questioned upon noticing the wet marks on her fur that ran down from her eyes.

"Of course I have" She whispered.

"Why... what's happened?" He pleaded, desperate to know the anwser.

"Nick... Who is Tao?" She asked directly.

"Tao?" Nick repeated.

"Yes Nick... Tao... I saw the messages she sent you this morning... Who is she!" Judy was on the verge of bursting into tears now.

"Judy, whatever you think, it's wrong." Nick tried to convince her...

"WHO IS SHE!" Judy cried.

"She's just... a friend..." Nick told her.

"Oh yea, just a friend... Is that why she sent you a message with a picture of you and her... together!"

"Yes... She's just a friend" Nick attempted to convince her. "Judy... There is only one person in my life I love more than anything and everything... and that's you. Judy you know I would do anything for you."

"Nick... just anwser one question."

"Anything"

"Do... Do you... Do you love me?"


	5. Chapter 5: Oh no

"Do... Do you... Do you love me?"

"Judy... Of course I love you... I love you more than life itself. I would die before anything happened to you. Please believe me... Tao is just a friend." Nick pleaded.

"How do I know that? Nick how do I know whether I can trust you or not." she cried.

"I..."

"Nick... You say you love me... But I just don't hear it. I don't believe it. I look in your eyes, and yea... I see love... But I don't know whether it's for me... Or whether you love someone else." Judy whispers out.

"Judy, I promise you, I only love you. I wouldn't change you for anything. Your the best thing that's ever happened to me... Your the best thing that will ever happen to me... Why? Just why would I risk that?" Nick tries to convince her, his voice soft and calming - trying desperately to portray the love he felt... The love she didn't believe.

"I, I don't know... I don't know what to believe. I want to believe you Nick... I really do... But how do I know your not lying. That you... Still love me" Judy sighs.

Nick didn't anwser, instead he walked slowly towards the one he loved. Each step he took, allowed him to see more clearly into her eyes. It pained him when he saw the doubt in them, the lack of trust. He reached her, staring deep into her eyes, his eyes only portraying love, warmth, care, consideration, passion; emotions and feeling that were no longer mirrored in her own. He sighed as he leaned forwards, gently taking her lips with his own. The passionate kiss lasted a minute, before Judy pushed him away.

"If I loved someone else... I wouldn't do that - would I?" He asked her, his voice still soft and loving.

Judy sighed, she knew Nick was right, but why... Why did she still feel she couldn't trust him, why wasn't that kiss more than enough? Why did she still doubt him?

"Nick..." She started.

"Yea Hopps?" Nick asked her.

"Promise me... That you love me... Promise me that eveything you said was true. Please look me in the eyes and promise me." She begged.

Nick looked her in the eyes as he spoke. "I promise you Judy, with all my heart and soul I did not lie to you. Everything I said is true... I love you and only you - there is nothing I wouldn't do to see you smile. I would go through Hell and back for you. I would risk everything I have for your saftey. I love you more, than life itself." He promised.

This time, Judy believed him... She didn't doubt him anymore. She started to believe all the emotions she saw in his eyes. But something was still eating at the back of her mind... Why had he been so secretive then.

"Nick... If you promise your not seeing anyone else... Then why were you hiding something from me... Why were you so secretive lately?" She asked curiousness evident in her voice.

"Hmm... I didn't plan to do it this way..." The vulpine sighed.

"Didn't plan to do what this way?"

"Judy Hopps..." Nick said as he pulled a small box out of his pocket. Kneeling down on one knee, he opened the lid of the box, revealing a ruby ring, perfectly sized for Judy. "Will you marry me?" He finished, gently pushing the box so the ring reflected the moonlight, which unintenionally made his eyes sparkle.

Judy could feel her heart fluttering. She thought she was dreaming... Did Nick just propose - or was she imaging things. The longer she took to realise it was real, the more it hurt Nick; she realised it was real when she saw how hurt Nick felt.

"NICK OF COURSE I'LL MARRY YOU!" She screamed.

The fox instantly jumped up - locking Judy's lips with his own once again as he kissed her with all the love he could muster. Breaking from the kiss, he looked deep itno her eyes, before holding her close against his body in a passionate embrace. After a long love filled minute, he broke away, watching as Judy took the ring from the box and placed it on her hand.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod" Judy mumbled, "NICK I LOVE YOU SO MUCH..." Her voice stopped all to suddenly... "Nick... I'm so sorry I doubted you... I'm so sorry I didn't trust you... I don't deserve this..." Judy whispers.

"Judy, you have nothing to be sorry for... I don't blame you for not trusting me... If anyone don't deserve this, it's me... You deserve this..." Nick comforted her. The two newly engaged friends slept together that night, and into the morning. As dawn broke, and shone through the cracks of their blinds, the rays of the sun rested upon Nick's face, rousing the sleeping fox from his rest. Judy awoke shortly afterwards, and snuggled into Nick's chest to hide from the sun. He chuckled as he got out of bed, blocking the sun from Judy with his body as he approached the blinds. As they changed into their unifrom, and left the apartment, the spotted the group of rabbits they knew all too well. Their recruits... No their friends.

"Hey guys, look... It's Nick and Judy... Man they look happy. Guess they sorted out their problems." Harry commented as he saw the duo approaching.

"Judy, you wanna tell them... Or shall I?" Nick questioned as they arrived.

"Tell us what?" Brian asked.

Judy could barely contain her excitement, showing the group the ruby ring as she told them "Me and Nick... We're getting married!" She screamed happily.

The group of rabbits burst into a fit of ecitement, rushing up to the duo and engaging in the biggest group hug - even Brian got involved. Meanwhile, Mitch was the only one who kept away from the phyiscal contact, but - despite hating inter-species relationships - could not help but join in with congratulating the duo.

.

The day had reached near the end, as the sun approached the far horizon, ready to set within the next few hours.

Judy sat alone, watching the suns rays reflecting and dancing on the water. She had managed to get away from everyone at the ZDP, as much as she loved all the congratulations she got from them, they were giving her tiny form a headache. Nick was called in by Cheif Bogo to give a report on something, and she didn't want to face anyone without Nick.

The rabbit heard footsteps approaching, but she knew they did not belong to Nick. After a few seconds, and golden/blonde vixen walked by an sat down next to Judy, aware of the rabbits presence, but unaware of who she was. Judy looked towards the vixen, and recognised her to be Tao...

The vixen pulled out her phone, and looked at the same picture of her and Nick... "Oh man... Nick, how long has it been since we last saw each other... I miss you Nick, you were the best friend I ever had - infact you were the only friend I ever had... Where did you go Nick... Where did you disappear to, after five strong years of friendship. You know, we all really missed you... You have no idea of how much you've missed out on. Your a brother in law now, and an uncle, Abby got married to your brother Luke and they've had kits." She spoke out loud.

Judy listened intensely, though she pretended not too. 'Nick was right, they were just friends.'

Tao spotted Judy next to her. "Hi miss?"

"Hopps... Judy Hopps"

"Hi Miss Hopps, my name is Tao Kitsing. It's nice to meet you." Tao greeted kindly.

"Like-wise Miss Kitsing"

"Miss Hopps, do you know a fox by the name of Nick Wilde?" Tao asked.

"Yes. As a matter of fact I do."

"Can you help me locate him... I haven't seen him for at least a good 10 years now... And so much has happened that I would like him to know."

"Of course"

The two females began heading back to Judy's apartment, where they believed Nick would be.

"Erm... This is your apartment..." Tao pointed out.

"Yea... I probably should've mentioned that we live together." Judy commented as she turned to face Tao, showing her the ruby ring in the process.

"Is that... an engagement ring?" Tao asked.

"Yes" Judy replied.

Tao just jumped into the air, yelping happily. "Haha... Nick Wilde your engaged... And an inter-species no less. Oh your family would be so proud."

"What do you mean - an inter-species?" Judy asked.

"Well... Let's just say... Where we came from... Inter-species relationships were illegal. Anyone involved in an inter-species relationship was kicked out, or forced to abandon the relationship. So the fact that Nick is engaged to you... It's just... Oh man so many people from where we came from were to frightened to get involved in inter-species, even when they didn't live there. So it's quite an achievement from our point of veiw that Nick got engaged. I'm so happy for you and Nick... Speaking of the vulpine, where is he?"

"I don't know..."

The two girls walked into the apartment, seeing that it was empty of most of Nick's belongings.

"Where's he gone?" Judy asked.

Tao walked into the room, and spotted a mark on a piece of paper...

"Oh no..."

.

AN: Whoo that was a long chapter. Firstly, I would like to give a shoutout to a good friend of mine, Brainiac1013. He is the mind behind Tao... And he's also the most supportive friend. :). Anyway, Chapter 6 is will be released soon. Rate and Review please - it really helps. Thanks :)


	6. Chapter 6: Dead?

"Oh no..." Tao muttered.

"What is it? What do you mean 'oh no?'" Judy asked the vixen.

"Huh... Oh it's nothing." Tao replied, hiding the piece of paper with the mark in her pocket. Judy could NEVER know about this.

"I don't believe you... What's wrong?" Judy asked again.

"Honestly - don't worry about it. It's nothing to worry about..." Tao insisted.

Judy sighed, walking past Tao to look around the apartment. It looked as though Nick had never been in here - there was nothing, no evidence of that red fox Judy had fallen in love with. Tao seperated from Judy, looking around the main living area of the apartment, while Judy passed the door into the bedroom. The pictures remained beside the bed, and something else rested next to them, shining in the light. She grabbe the object, recongising them to be Nick's keys to the apartment. The small rabbit looked around the rest of the bedroom. There was no note, nothing to explain Nick's disappearance.

She pulled out her phone, scrolling through the contacts till she found Nick. She tapped on it and began to ring him, but only a dialing tone came through. After a minute of waiting, the phone went to voicemail. "Nick - call me please. I need to know where you are - whether your safe or not. Call me back... Please."

Tao walked into the bedroom, spotting Judy sitting on the bed. She pulled out her phone, and called Nick - voicemail again. She hung up the call - not bothering to leave any message. "There was sign of Nick, Judy - are you sure this is the right apartment. It looks as though Nick's never been here."

"Of course I'm sure this is the right apartment - if it wasn't the right place, why would I have the keys to it - why would there be pictures of me and Nick right there" Judy replied, gesturing to the pictures.

"You got a good point." Tao commented.

The day rolled by quickly, turning into a week before anyone knew it, and no-one had heard from Nick since his disappearnce. Tao had been helping Judy deal with the ever-amassing questions from the ZDP - she had been staying in the apartment on the couch, texting and calling Nick every day to no response. Judy grumbled as she awoke , missing Nick even more by the passing second. She grabbed her phone, immediately calling Nick.

"Nick... Please call me back - It's been a week since you left. I'm terrified right now. Where are you? I need to know you're safe. Please... C-call me back." She felt tears beginning to build up in her eyes. Tao walked into the bedroom, her eyes holding sympathy.

"He still not responding to you either... I've been asking everyone in the ZDP, and none of them have heard from Nick either. I've sent him texts, voicemails, videomessages, everything... And he's ignored all of them."

A banging on the door drew both of the girls attention, and Judy wasted no time in answering it. Cheif Bogo stood in-front of the door, his eyes soft and full pf sympathy.

"Judy - all the investiagtions have turned up nothing. We have to pull back... As much as I hate it, we can't spare any more officers in search of Nick, I'm sorry." He informed her.

Judy could feel her heart growing heavy, "So that's it?" She asked him, receiving a nod in response. Judy just couldn'thandle it much more, her emotions getting the better of her. She cried, and let the tears flow.

Cheif Bogo sighed, "Take a few days off, Hopps. If you want to find Nick, you can't be doing it like this. You need to have a few days to clear your head. No clearing your head, no badge." He told her - knowing that the only way to convince Judy to stay at home, and clear her head was by threatening to remove her badge - even though he would never do that, unless he had no choice.

Judy sighed and nodded her head in agreement, wiping the tears from her eyes as she watched Cheif Bogo leave, Tao closing the door behind him. Judy grabbed her phone and tried to call Nick again. "Nick - I'm getting worried now... Please call me back. I need to know your fine. You don't even need to call me - just text me at least, please just respond to me, Tao, or anyone at the ZDP... Please Nick."

The days continued to roll on, weeks passing by, turning into months and still nothing from Nick. Judy had literally nearly caused herself to have a panic attack in the last few days, the stress and worry about Nick was beginning to overpower her. She made one final call to Nick "Nick please - I can't take much more of this... I need to know your safe, just respond please, It's getting to heavy now... The ZDP's is worried sick, our recruits are worried sick, Tao's worried sick - and I'm literally terrified right now. We need to hear from you, even it's just you picking up the phone, not even talking or texting us back... Just please, stop ignoring us." Judy was crying her eyes out by this point.

Tao was sitting on the couch, holding her phone in her paws as she listened to the dialing tone her phone made as she called Nick for the hundredth time. Finally the tone stopped, and her hopes began to rise, but they were crushed when a message appeared on her screen 'The voicemail inbox is currently full. Please, try again later.'

Judy screamed in frustration, falling onto the bed and weeping loudly, her tears staining her fur. Tao walked into Judy, kneeling down beside the bed, letting Judy release all the tears that had built up over the months. Tao felt a few tears of her own building up, a few of which slowly rolled down her cheeks.

Judy crawled into Tao, burying her face into her neck and chest. In the past few months, the two girls had grown into really close friends. Judy kept sobbing, until she could shed no more tears. The small rabbit sniffled as she curled up. A text came through on Judy's phone, and Tao saw it was from Cheif Bogo.

'Officer Hopps, I regret to inform you, Some of Nick's belongings were found stained with blood by a river. The blood trailed towards the river. Nick Wilde has now been announced as deceased. I'm sorry' The text read.

Judy looked at the message, her heart shattering completely as she read the last few words over and over again.

"Dead?"


	7. Chapter 7: Nick

Nick walked into the apartment, it had been a VERY long day of receiving 'congrats' from everyone at the ZDP, and as mush as he liked it, it began to give him a headache. He had just been to Cheif Bogo to fill out some report, though he had no clue what it was for. The fox ran a paw over his chest, resting it on the ZDP badge. He still remembers that day - when he got the badge. It was one of the happiest moments in his life.

For the first time, he had been accepted into something - something good. The fox looked around the apartment Judy and he shared. Oh how he wouldn't change her for anything. He walked into the bedroom, removing his ZDP uniform and hanging it up. Judy wasn't back yet... but he wasn't worried. It was Zootopia - what could really happen to her.

The fox's tail swished lazily behind his back, as he looked out at the faint stars in the sky. "Hey mom... Dad... I know you can see me up there... I was just wondering... Are you proud of me now... Proud of what I've done? I know you've been watching over me and Judy, what do you think of her? She's a nice girl - ain't she?" He asked the sky.

Nick looked around the apartment, it felt so lonely now... Without Judy to hold him. Every year for the past five years he looked to the same group of stars, asking the same questions, and everytime Judy was there with him, to comfort him, to hold him afterwards. It was just so lonely now... So cold and lonely without her. His ears flattened against his head slightly as he looked back outside.

His phone buzzed as it recieved a message. There was no words, just a mark that Nick knew all too well. A mark that was burned into the back of his memory - that stung everytime he thought about it. There were many shifty things about his character, that he had hidden from Judy... But this was by far the most dangerous - Judy could NEVER find out about this. The fox began to panic. How? How did they know how to contact him? It didn't matter now. They had found him. 'He' had unfinished buisness with Nick.

"Damn it... If he knows where I'm living... Judy... No, that ain't happening. I'm not getting Judy involved with it." Nick decides. Looking around the apartment, Nick knew it was only a matter of time before they arrived at the apartment... If they found out Nick was here... He didn't want to think what 'he' would do to Judy - 'he' had nothing to lose... He would get what he wanted... no matter the cost. Nick gathered everything of his he could find, except for the pictures. He walked into the main apartment, after gathering all of his few belongings. Before he left, a piece of paper fell out of the pocket of his ZDP uniform, falling onto the floor. The paper settled, the mark facing up for all to see. The fox left the apartment, closing the door behind him, unaware of the paper on the floor.

.

It had been a week since he left everything he ever knew... he had no clue to where to go... what to do. Judy, Tao, Clawhauser, Chief Bogo, and pretty much everyone at the ZDP had been trying to get in touch with him, and he was ignoring them all. It pained him every time he read the texts, listened to the voicemails left by Judy, how terrified she was - he could hear it. How desperate she was just to hear his voice. How much he wanted to just talk to her, to be with her - but it just wasn't safe enough. They were only safe as long as they hadn't heard from Nick...

Months had passed, and Nick was struggling to keep on the move, his once beautiful red fur was now dirty, ruffled and unkept. Hick had small cuts all across his right arm, many of which were days old. His clothes were torn and dirty. his phone rang once again - Judy special ringtone filling the silence. After a few moments, he sat down, listening to the voice mail. "Nick please - I can't take much more of this... I need to know your safe, just respond please, It's getting to heavy now... The ZDP's is worried sick, our recruits are worried sick, Tao's worried sick - and I'm literally terrified right now. We need to hear from you, even it's just you picking up the phone, not even talking or texting us back... Just please, stop ignoring us."

"How I wish I could just talk to you Judy... I hate myself for this... Causing you to worry like this - but I can't put you in danger... It's for the best Judy... not for me, but for you, Bogo, Clawhauser, Tao, everyone who knows me. It's the only way you guys can stay safe." Nick told himself. The fox placed his phone inside his pocket on his uniform as he rose to his feet. His ears perked up at the sound of running water. Nick moved towards the sound, unaware of the person following him.

Finally, Nick broke through the tree-line. Dropping to his knees as he reached the river, he cupped his paws and began to wash his face, wimpering softly as the cold water made contact with his cuts. He looked at his reflection in the water. His entire body was covered in dirt. He was about to go about cleaning his fur, but the snapping of a stick behind him drew his attention.

Nick looked towards the newcomer, and his emerald eyes locked with a dark blue set. The owner of the blue eyes stepped out of the woods, revealing themselves to be a dark brown fox, similar to Nick.

"Myles?" Nick whispered.

"Miss me Nick... We missed you." Myles hissed.

"Missed me... Yea... You missed beating me up... Bullying me... Didn't you?" Nick accused.

"Oh now come on, Nick, that's not fair."

"Not fair... Was it fair to me, when I got a knife stuck through my arm for nothing... Other than entertainment. Was it fair when I got beaten up, for nothing. No... It wasn't fair."

Myles didn't say anything in response, instead he began to slowly approach Nick. "Yes" he replied to Nick's question. Nick lunge towards Myles, hoping to catch him off guard. His sudden attack allowed him to swipe his claws across Myles' face, leaving him a barely noticeable cut. Myles swiped at Nick's chest, his claws leaving large marks, but none drew blood.

In a swift second attack, Myles swiped upwards, this time drawing blood. The blood from Nick began to pour onto his clothes that lay discarded on the floor, as Nick dropped to the ground by them in pain. Sighing, Myles retreated into the woods.

Nick began to crawl towards the river in an attempt to wash the blood away, but he was too weak. His body slipped down the bank, into the water. He struggled to keep himself afloat, and began to slowly sink to the bottom of the river. Before darkness overtook his vision, he spotted his ZDP uniform slide off and sink beneath the water beside him.


	8. Chapter 8: Maybe

Judy sat in the office, Tao standing behind her. Cheif Bogo walked in and sat opposite the two females. The rabbit's fur was matted with her tears, and her uniform was soaked. Judy didn't look towards Bogo, her eye's focusing on the message. She still couldn't believe it - how could Nick be dead? She didn't believe it, she chose not to believe it... but her hopes kept crumbling everytime she read it. Finally, she averted her gaze from her phone to Bogo.

"I'm so sorry Judy..." He sighed.

"Please... Bogo tell me this ain't true... Please tell me that my Nick is safe... Please" She pleaded on the verge of tears.

"I'm so sorry Judy... But there is nothing... nothing to suggest Nick may have managed to survive. We searched the entire area Judy, but we never found his body..."

"Then that means that he could still be out there... Please we have to find him - he needs our help." Judy insisted, however she knew she was only fooling herself.

"Judy... There is no possible way he could've walked away from that, the wolves confirmed that the blood belonged to Nick and Nick alone. There was way too much blood for Nick to have gotten away from that... I'm so so sorry Judy, but there is no real chance Nick is alive..."

"No...no... that can't be, thats not true - he's not dead. Please tell me he aint dead. Please!" Judy cried as tears ran down her face, her becoming soaked and stained from them.

"Judy, you have no idea how much I wish I could tell you he is safe; I wish I could just tell you, but I can't do it knowing that it isn't true. Judy... I really am sorry... I miss him to-" Bogo was cut off by her.

"How can you say that? You barely took the time to actually get to know Nick... You just saw him as a ex-con fox who was a good cop - you never saw him the way everyone else did, the way I saw him..." Judy cried.

"That isn't fair Judy, I never saw Nick like that, I saw Nick as a friend - just like everyone else. I promise you that, if there was anything I want more to happen right now, is for Nick to walk through that door. I wouldn't care whether he could police again, I wouldn't care because he is safe. But alas, Judy we both know Nick won't be walking through that door... ever again." Bogo defended himself.

"I know... I just... OH GOD NICK WHY!?" She screamed as she burst ito tears once again. Bogo felt tears of his own beginning to form, but he blinked them away and kept a stoic expression. As Judy's tears began to cease, and silence crept over the room, Bogo's phone went off.

Bogo looked at the message he had been sent. 'Chief, officers Mchorn and Ricky just spotted something creeping around by where we found Nick's stuff. They are on their way. I'll text you when I get more information.'

After a few moments, a second text came through. 'Officers Mchorn and Ricky are down! They need reinforcements. ASAP!'

Bogo rushed out of his chair, calling all available officers and telling them of the situation. Judy was more than determined to be apart of this, and she knew Tao felt the same.

The three got into the ZDP police van, waiting for the rest of the officers. Not long afterwards, 3 tigers and 4 wolves rushed out and jumped ito the van, before it sped off to it's destination.

As they arrived, the tigers and wolves rushed out of the van, pointing their tranquilizer guns in all directions. Mchorn and Ricky were laying on the ground, seemingly highly uninjured. Mchorn stirred just as Bogo stepped beside him, helping the rhino to his feet. "What happened?" He asked

"I don't know, we saw something creeping about around here, so we cane to check ot out, next thing I knew we were both out cold. Everything still seems the same here though." He told Chief Bogo.

"Get in the van, we'll de-brief you back at the station." Bogo sighed.

The rhino nodded, hopping into the back of the van alongside the rest of the officers. "Judy, Tao - you coming?" Bogo asked.

"No, I'm gonna just... Stay here for a bit... Wanna be with Nick... One...last...time" Judy sighed.

"I'll stay with Judy, she may need someone with her." Tao responded.

With a final nod from Bogo, the van left the area - while Judy looked around the scene. The trail of blood the text had mentioned was still there, dry and staining the ground. Everything appeared just as though the text had described.

She walked to the pile of clothing that lay discarded on the bank of the river, dropping onto her knees as she held his shirt close to her, her tear drops falling onto the green shirt.

Tao stood further away, watching, her amethyst eyes soft and caring. She took a step forwards, and hurt her paw on something strong. "Ouch" she hissed.

Judy looked towards Tao, walking over her to find what had harmed her friend. She spotted something shining against the dirt, and she swept it away. After cleaning the object of the dirt that covered it, she recognised what it was - Nick's ZDP badge, but where was his uniform?

A idea came to her mind - 'Maybe Nick is still out there, maybe he's got his ZDP uniform on, and the badge snapped off. Maybe... Nick did walk away from what happened here, or... Maybe he swam away.' She thought, yet she instantly dismissed the idea 'Don't be a dumb bunny Judy... You know deep in your heart that Nick is gone. Don't give yourself the false hope that Nick's still alive, because when you realize the reality, it'll only hurt even more'

.

AN: Yay another chapter done - I done good... Right? Anyway thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed. Please rate and review - it means alot. See you awesome Zootopians in CH9.


	9. Chapter 9: Returning home

"You all right Judy - you spaced out for a bit there?" Tao asked the small rabbit.

"Of course I'm not all right! Nick's dead!" She snapped, causing the golden vixen to recoil slightly out of shock. Taking a deep breath - Judy apologised "I'm sorry for snapping Tao... It's just... Oh god... I know you want to help... I just... I don't wanna stay here - please can we just go back to the apartment."

Tao nodded as she replied "Of course. You don't need to be apologising either Judy."

With that the two girls began to long trek back to Judy's apartment. Judy's ears perked up visibly when she heard footsteps that sounded so much like a foxes - and that didn't belong to Tao. The light quick pace reminded so much of Nick... A faint whisper was carried on the air.

"I love you Judy..." The voice said - sounding so much like the voice that belonged to one she loved.

"I love you Nick - always will." She whispered to herself - knowing that it was only a ghostly memory of her loved one - that it wasn't the real Nick Wilde saying that to her.

Despite believing it was nothing more than a ghostly memory - she still looked around, hoping to see him walking through the woods towards them, and there was. In the far distance, faintly visible amidst the trees stood Nick Wilde, wearing a torn ZDP uniform that was missing it's badge.

"NICK!" She screamed - alerting Tao in the process - who looked in the direction Judy had began rushing in, but there was nothing. The rabbit kept running towards Nick, before she skidded to a stop when she watched him just dissipate into the air. Her shoulder slumped and heart sank when realisation set in - it wasn't real - a cruel trick of her mind.

"Judy..." Tao called as she reached the rabbit - who had long since fallen onto her knees. Judy rose to her knees, turning back in the direction of the city, Tao following close behind. Finally, after a long two hours of walking, the two girls finally ended up back inside Judy's apartment. As she shut the door behind her, the rabbit sunk to the ground, tears at her eyes. Tao looked on in concern and sympathy, but decided against doing much more other than letting Judy get it out of her system. The rabbit practically dragged herself into her room, crawling into the bed and sitting there, releasing all her tears.

Once they stopped flowing, she wiped her eyes - before getting out of her ZDP uniform and climbing into the bed. She grabbed Nick's ZDP badge, cradling it close to her chest as she drifted into sleep.

"Do you, Nicholas Piberius Wilde take Judith Laverne Hopps to be your mate for life. Do you promise to love and cherish her - in sickness and in health. Do you promise to care for her - to put her saftey above your own."

"I do" Nick said - looking deep into Judy's eyes as he held her paws with his own.

"Do you, Judith Laverne Hopps take Nicholas Piberius Wilde to be your mate for life. Do you promise to love and cherish him - in sickness and in health. Do you promise to care for him - to put his saftey above your own."

"I do"

"Then you have both sworn and made your vows to each other - and have both heartfully agreed to be Mates for Life. I now pronounce you - Mates for Life. Nick - you may now kiss her and seal your bond to her and her alone."

Without any delay - Nick took Judy's lips with his own, ignoring the cheers they recieved from all around them. Judy allowed a soft moan to escape her lips as Nick didn't relent instead pushing slightly deeper into the kiss. Eventually, both their lungs screamed for air - and the two broke their moment of love - turning to face all of their friends, and Judy's massive family. Averting their gaze back to each other, they engaged in a second deep kiss...

Judy awoke suddenly from her dream, looking to the space in the bed next to her - expecting to see Nick laying with her - sleeping peacefully... But the bed was empty and lonely.

She stared at the badge in her paws - all the memories of their adventures as part of the ZDP - stopping Bellwether and the Night Howler operation, finding the missing mammals, stopping Flash Flash Hundred Hard Dash for speeding - which still confused her. She remembered training the new rabbit recruits with him, the laughs and jokes they shared. The door to her room opened, and Judy sat up, looking towards Tao.

"Hey Judy, these guys wanted to see you" The vixen gestured to the group of rabbits at her feet.

Almost instantly, the girls leaped up oto the bed - and Judy found herself in their embrace. Tears began to fall once again from her eyes, and the blonde rabbit began to wipe them away. The boys leaped up on the bed as the girls seperated, and Judy then found herself caught in their embrace - even Brian was involved - while Mitch was no where to be seen. The boys face's all turned super red with embarrassment when they finally realized that Judy was still technically in bed - which seemed to lighten up Judy's mood ever-so-slightly that she allowed a small giggle to leave her lips.

They hopped off the bed, "Judy - if you ever need us - just call." Harry told her before he left with the rest of the boys.

"Likewise - We'll drop everything we're doing to come see you." Lauren added as she and the girls left.

"I'll leave you alone now Judy." Tao excused herself. 'Nice to see that she's got alot of people looking out for her. I never really had that.' She added silently as she walked to the main room, before lying on the couch and falling asleep. Judy felt her eyes getting heavy as she began to drift back into sleep - still holding Nick's badge to her chest as she fell into sleep once again - but no dream, no memory of Nick accompanied her rest that night.


	10. Chapter 10: A few mere memories

Judy kicked the blanket off of her as she awoke, her fur still wet from the tears she had released during the night. The moon was still in the sky, the sun no-where near rising. She looked at the alarm clock beside the bed - reading 04:30 AM. She had been tossing and turning all night since the dream of her and Nick getting married - becoming Mates for life... How much she wished it wasn't a dream - how much she wished it was reality... But it wasn't.

She sat in silence, once again holding Nick's badge against her - sniffling back her tears. Judy grabbed her phone, unlocking it and opening her picture's. There she scrolled through each and every picture of Nick, all the selfies they had... A soft smile made it's way across her face as she looked at some of the expressions Nick pulled. Those first few months after the missing mammals case, after Nick was accepted into the ZDP had been some of the best months - the months in which Judy began to understand her feelings towards the vulpine more clearly, the months in which she began to truly start to understand him. Tears pricked at her eyes as she thought about everything they had done together.

She came across the picture of Nick when he first met all of her siblings... How easily they all just accepted him, adored him. She smiled faintly as she looked at the picture, seeing Nick barely visible against the ocean of siblings who had all tackled him at the time of the picture. She thought back to it, her siblings were so easily accepting of him, they adored him, yet her parents weren't so easily swayed.

She still didn't understand why they didn't like him... Was it because he was a fox... Surely not... They had grown to like him over time, even as far as commenting on how they wished they would be mates. Judy smiled at how red Nick got at the moment, it was obvious through his crimson red fur.

She shut her phone down, not wanting to look at any more. She looked once again at Nick's ZDP badge, stroking it with her paw. "Oh Nick..." She sighed. She sat awake through the rest of that night, up into the early morning. The sun shone through onto her body, reflecting off the badge. She hopped out of the bed, walking to put on her ZDP uniform, before changing her mind... Just wearing it reminded her so much of Nick... Everything in her life did now.

She walked out of her bedroom, spotting Tao wide awake on the couch, talking with someone on the phone in hushed tones. The vixen noticed Judy's presence, and quickly bid the person on the other end of the phone goodbye before ending the cool, arousing Judy's curiousity.

"Who was that Tao?" Judy asked the vixen.

"Huh, oh it's no-one you would know. Just someone who I used to know back where I lived" Tao quickly answered her, intriguing her even more - though she decided not to act on it.

Her phone vibrated, showing a text from her family that read 'Judy!- we've only just heard about what happened to Nick... We're so so sorry... Call if you ever need us"

A small piece of paper fluttered by the couch, Tao seemingly unaware. Allowing her curiousity to influence her actions, she approached the paper, grabbing it in her paws to stop it fluttering. The paper appeared torn in half, and the writing was faded, yet the small lapin's keen eyesight could read the faded ink and the indentations it created. 'How had no-one ever noticed this before?' The answer to that question didn't matter to Judy, but the answer that did intrigue her was that of a different question she asked herself 'What actually is it?'

She began to read the hardly visible words, taking her time to study the patterns of the the indentations from where the ink was. Something about it's style seemed familiar, and then it struck her tiny form that it was written by Nick. This new realisation caused unrivalled curiousity to flood her form - yet it was also swarming with loss and sorrow at the memory of the fox no longer being a part of her life.

She began to read it silently in her thoughts - yet only little of the message remained, as the bottom half of the paper appeared torn off.

'Your love' the title read. 'For my beautiful Mate-to-be Judy Hopps... A little song I have written for you. I still do not believe that you stuck by my side through everything we have been through... And I thank the stars that decide my fate every day for your continued love and affection. The song below is...' The rest of what he had written was missing, most likely on the remaining half of the paper she did not have in her possession. She carefully folded the paper before placing it in her pocket, before wiping the tears from her eyes as she hopped up next to Tao. She watched as Tao flicked through the picture's of her and Nick, lauging and joking alongside a few other foxes, one or two of which she recognised - the light grey fox who stood with his arm around Nick's shoulder she recognised to be Nick's adopted brother; Caelum, and stood on the other side was Tao. She sighed, wiping tears from her eyes as she locked her phone and placed it in the pocket of her dress.

"I miss you" she mumbled to herself.

"We all do Tao..."

The golden vixen rose to her feet, walking to the window and looking out of it into the sky. She averted her gaze, before heading to the door. "I'll be back in a bit Judy..." Tao told her as she walked out the door, closing it behind her. Judy looked around the now empty apartment, before a second text came through on her phone - another one from her family. She hopped up onto the couch, curling into a ball as she sat against one of the arms. Pretty soon, tears once again began falling from her eyes, and she bothered not to attempt wiping them away, for more just fell to replace them.

"I love you Nick... Always will..."

AN: Sorry this update has been so long, but like I mentioned in Runaway, I have had pretty bad writer's block on all of my stories. It's slowly starting to clear up on this story, but it's still there, a fog and mist in the back of my mind. Sorry again for delay. Rate and leave your thoughts in a review - you have no idea how much they help. :) Until chapter 11, farewell Zootopians.


	11. Chapter 11: Not real

Judy awoke in the bedroom of her apartment, and already she knew something was different... The door to the bedroom was open, and she heard...crying? Curiousity instantly overpowered caution, and she leaped out of bed before heading into the living room. Her small amyethyst eyes widened in shock when they fell upon the crimson bushy tail of her lover... Nick Wilde. She rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't hallucinating, and to her delight found she wasn't.

"NICK!" She screamed his name with joy, before running up to him. The crimson fox turned around to face her, kneeling down and embracing her in a loving embrace, but she felt something was...off about him. As the two parted, she saw the tears in his eyes, and the emerald orbs were conflicted of many emotions - joy, happiness, love... But the most overpowering was the one of despair. She didn't focus on that... Just the fact that the one she loved was now back... She lunged forwards and kissed him with all her love, and was rejoiced when he returned it...

"Judy..." Nick started after parting from the kiss, but he quickly sealed his lips and withheld his words upon seeing her... He couldn't break her heart, but he knew he had to. "Judy..." He tried again, but she simply embraced him again.

"Oh Nick... I'm so glad your safe." She whispered. Nick allowed a sad smile to form on his expression, but he tried his best to hide it from her...

"Nick... You have no idea how scared I was... I-I-I- I thought I lost you... That you were gone... You don't know how much it hurt me when I didn't hear from you."

"It hurt me too Carrots, listening to you and the messages from everyone else... I wanted to just come home... Believe me... I hated myself for doing what I did" Nick sighed.

"Just promise... Promise me you won't ever leave me again... That you'll be with me 'till the end of our time... Please promise me" She begged him, looking deep into his eyes.

"Carrots... You know I can't make that promise... I can't make a promise I can't keep" He sighed as he stared back into her eyes.

"I know... But just promise me. Promise me you'll not just leave me... That you'll be by my side 'till death himself comes to take us..." She pleaded him again.

Nick sighed as he replied "I promise" before kissing her again. Judy gripped her arms tightly around his neck, as though she was holding onto him as if her life depended on it - she had already lost him once, she would do everything in her power to not lose him again. She could sense something was haunting Nick, that he was hiding something from her, but she would not pursue that topic now...

A question began to arise in her mind, yet she decided against asking it... Now was definitely not the time... He was back, yet he still seemed anxious and nervous. She thought long and hard about how to rid him of this nervousness, and how to get him comfortable around her again, but nothing really arised. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind, and she realised Nick was wearing his ZDP uniform, but he was missing something... The badge. "Wait right here, I've got something of yours" she said before running to get the badge, before returning to him with it in her paws.

He looked at the badge in her paws, his eyes flickering between her and the golden object. 'Why was he so nervous?' She gently pushed the badge closer towards him, and he finally took it in his own paws. He looked towards her again, but his eyes showing now obvious embarrasment.

"Umm... How do you put these on again?" He asked her.

The small grey lapin gave a light hearted chuckle as she gently took the badge, before attaching it onto his uniform. He looked at the badge, before at her, and she saw that he seemed unsure. 'What's wrong?' She ignored it, believing it was just Nick being unsure about returning to the ZDP as - while he enjoyed the company of a small amount of members: Her, the recruits, Clawhauser, Bogo and a few others, he still got alot of discrimination from others because he was a fox - sly, shifty and untrustworthy... "What is it?" She finally asked him...

"Huh, oh it's nothing" he quickly replied, having been snapped out of his trance of uncertainty. Judy knew he was lying - she could hear how little confidence accompanied his words, but she decided to not press the matter any further. She decided to show how much she truly loved him, and she told him to follow her into the bedroom... Not the moment he set foot in there did he speak in a tone of sadness.

"Judy... I can't do this..."

"Nick... You don't need to do anything..." She told him, unaware of what he was actually talking about.

"No... I mean, I can't do... This. I can't keep lying to you"

"What do you mean?" The small lapin questioned, turning to look at him.

"Judy... This isn't real... I'm not real... I'm gone... You know I'm gone... None of what you see here is real... It's just your heart - living in denail - not wanting to accept it... I'm not real" He told her...

The small lapin opened her mouth to respond, but she found no words to ask... 'I'm not real? Of course you're real'

"Nick... What do you mean none of this is real... Of course it is... This is our apartment, this is our bed, those are our pictures... What's not real about this?" She finally found her words.

"Me" he replied with a single word, before clarifying when he saw the confusion inside her "I'm not real... This is just a dream Judy... Nothing more than a dream" he said, turning to leave the aparment. The fox allowed a tear to fall from his eyes - despite it not being real... It still broke his heart to leave her - but he left the apartment without anywords, ignoring as Judy called out - begging him to not go...


	12. Chapter 12: AN - please read

Hey guys... I'm sure many of you want to know why I've failed to update any of my stories for a while now... I'm just writing this note to let you know to not expect much updates from me for a while... I've not been feeling to well lately... Anyway... Until I get better (hopefully very soon) you guys won't be seeing any updates from me... I hope you guys understand and please don't worry about me... I'm sure I'll be fine... Until I feel better... Farewell.


	13. Chapter 13: Foxden Arc: Beginning

Judy awoke with eyes watery and fur soaked... Why? Why was her heart so tortureous, so evil to trick her so much? Tao was still yet to return to her, but the small lapin didn't really care anymore. Judy felt as though nothing mattered... That she should stop holding onto that false hope of Nick still being out there, alive and safe. She leaned her body off of the arm rest of the chair, bringing her paw out to the side of her and shaking it to rid it of the numbness, before wiping away the tears from her eyes. The small amethyst orbs slowly dragged themselves up towards the time, noticing it to be coming to 19:45... How long had she slept there for? She didn't care.

With little to no willpower, she allowed her small form to fall back useless against the back rest of the sofa, staring up at the blank ceiling with vacant eyes, distant and lonely, her arms lying limp to the sides of her while her ears hung lifelessly behind her. Judy just sat there, looking like a statue save for her breathing. Time ticked on by i the silence, Judy remaining in that stoic distant position as it did so. The sound of a key turning in the lock drew her attention to the door, and she allowed a ever-so-soft smile to make its way onto her features as she heard the key be removed from the lock, and the frustrated sigh and rattle of the keys as the owner forgot which one it was. "It's the big key that says the apartment number on, Tao" Judy reminded with a soft giggle.

Moments later, the apartment door opened and Tao stepped in, an embarrased smile on her face.

"Where you been all day?" Judy questioned with a tone of curiousity.

"Just out, no where special... Just needed to clear my head" Tao responded, closing the door behind her. Tao's eyes fell soft with pity as they fell upon the broken form of her friend, laying lifelessly against the back of the sofa, barely able to keep her soft smile on her face. "Judy? Is there anything I can do to help? You know I'm here for you"

"Not unless you can bring Nick back from the dead..." the small lapin responded in a monotonous voice - so drained of any real enthusiasm and life now. The laping slowly tilted her head to the side to look at Tao - but now even the golden vixen reminded her of Nick. Judy mustered the strength to raise herself off of the sofa, hoping down onto her feet. She walked over to the door of the apartment, grabbing her small coat before leaving out the door.

"Where you going Judy? You want me to come with?" Tao questioned in concern.

"No - I'll be fine... I'm just going out for a walk - I need some fresh air." Judy responded in a dull tone.

"Ok... Take your phone with you call me if anything happens. You have my number."

"Yea... I will" Judy promised in the same monotonous voice before stepping out of the apartment. The small lapin began to wander the streets aimlessly as the night began to fall. A few hours had passed, and she soon found herself back at the place... The place where Nick was presumed to have died...drowned in the running river. She cast her gaze around the surroundings an at the river itself - and an idea clicked in her mind. 'If what was said was true - that Nick had drowned at the bottom of the river - his...his body would still be there... Bogo had never said anything about any recovery attempt made. her body shuddered at the mere thought of having to lay eyes on the corpse of Nick Wilde - but she needed her own confirmation - she just had to know.

Drawing in a deep breath, Judy steeled her nerves and fear, approaching the waters edge and attempting to locate the motionless form that would serve as her lover, but the lack of light was a great hindrance to her vision. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she turned on the built-in flashlight, shining it at the water surface, yet she still struggled to see past it. She groaned in frustration, but she was determined to leave with closure - no matter what. She continued searching, trying to see through the water for many following minutes, all of her efforts proving useless as she failed to land eyes past the water surface. Still not determined to let these past few failures dissaude her from her course - she removed her coat, laying it on - with her phone - the ground before getting as close as she could to the river. After a few deep breaths, she jumped into the river - if this is what it took to gain confirmation, she would do it. Swimming down closer to the base of the river, she finally laid eyes on a very destroyed and torn apart ZDP jacket, that seemed to be about Nick's size, and after a very thorough stare down, she soon recognised it to be Nick's very jacket... But, if his jacket was here - where was he? His body wasnt here, infact the only real evidence to support Nick ever being underwater was the jacket.

She broker the surface as her lungs began to scream inside her, and wasted little time in running to her coat and wrapping it around her shovering form. Drying her paws off, she hastily grabbed her phone, unlocking it and quickly scrolling through her contacts... But she stopped herself from sending any messages - people would probably think she's delirious, out of her mind in denail and greif, and the they would be right, to a certain extent. She thought about it again, his body could've easily been washed away, the only reason his jacked was still here was cause it had gotten stuck in the pebbels. If only she knew which of those thought processes was right...


	14. Chapter 14: Foxden Arc: Prey

Every passing second the atmosphere felt off, as if something else was there that everyone was missing. Everything around her just felt, out of place. The wolves had said the blood was Nick's, but what they had never managed to find out is what caused Nick to lose as much blood as he did. Judy thought about it, if they were unable to find Nick's badge within a few hours, while Tao managed to find it accidently within a minute or two or arriving at the spot, what other secrets had they missed. Surely there was some obvious detail that everyone wouldn't have noticed while searching, and if fate be kind to her right now, would leave it's place of hiding and call out to her.

For once, Judy could feel herself praying thanks to whatever higher entity decided their fate, for just after she had thought about it, a what she delieved to be an obvious detail had surfaced on the water - quite literally. Judy knew this stream, she knew it's banks and the pebble formations practically off by heart, yet it's surroundings were only just now coming to be familiar with her. The bank on the opposite side of the stream was littered with evidence of claw drags being dug into the surface in an attempt to hoist whichever poor soul was trapped in the flowing water, but the spacing between the marks was so similar to that of a fox.

With her trained eyes, she looked for any possible indicator as far along the bank as she could for any sign that they made it out - somehow knowing for certain that it was Nick, but whether he was still alive remained a mystery that she so desperately needed closure for. If he was out there, alive, hurt, scared and alone, it was her mission - not as an officer of the law, but as a partner in love and life. Remembering that if she was to keep her soaked shirt on would only be a great hinderance to her mobility and her health, she took it off before putting her coat over her form and sealing it together, discarding her shirt to the side of Nick's police jacket. Just as the small lapin was about start following the river in the direction of it's flow, she remebered the small piece of blank paper she had stored in her pocket a few weeks back since before this all began. With her original use for it forgotten, she went to write down some form of note for the ZDP should they return to the sight, explaining where she was and what she was up to, but groaned when she realised she had no means of leaving a written communication. Searching through Nick's pocket, sw was ever grateful for the pen inside his lower right side pocket, and overjoyed when it still left a trail of ink after being applied to the paper.

After leaving a small note explaining her situation, she left it to the side of their clothing and began tracking the river bank, ensuring that her phone remained in he pocket and didn't fall out when her speed increased as the claw marks became more distant. Imagining to herself that Nick was down there seemed to help keep her focused on the task at hand, but it also pained her - despite being a figmentof her imagination, the mere image of Nick struggling against the current, calling out for help and tears flowing from his emerald eyes was taking its toll upon her. Slipping on the pebbles broke her concentration, and she was just about able to keep herself from falling flat on her face.

Her phone vibrated in her coat pocket, and she removed it with haste - thinking for some unknown reason it was from Nick, but instead it came from an unknown number, and text that made her uncomforable beyond levels any other situation could've. But admist the threats, a common word kept appearing, and it echoed throughout her mind even long after she had locked her phone and returned it to her pocket, "Prey"

...

Tao stirred, her eyes fluttering open as the light fell upon them, as she awoke on the couch from her rest. Of late her sleep pattern had been disturbed by dark dreams, nightmares from her past, nightmares of the mark. This dreams had haunted her all the time since she and Nick left, and since this all began, they had grown and grown in her vividness. Despite not having heard her phone indicate she had recieved a message, she still checked her phone and saw a number unrecognisable, yet the first few words contained a name Tao remembered and hated with a passion, an old 'friend' by the name of Allete.

The entirity of the message read "Tao Kitsing, it's me, Allete. Look I know you probably really hate me, and I don't blame you - I did kinda ruin your life. I know I fucked up big time. Anyway, I'm texting you because I think it's time we put the past behind us, come back to Foxden, please. I really need to speak with you."

"You fucking bitch ruined everything for me! Everyone turned against me because of you. You were a fucking bitch, to me and Nick especially. You always treated him like shit, like his life was worth less than yours. You're the fucking reason Nick ran away from Foxden" Tao was practially on the verge of enterring a fit of rage unrivaled and anger unfathomable, but with deep breaths and soothing words to herself she calmed down, "Breath Tao, anger is not always the right answer. Violence is only ever a last resort, if the situation can't be defused peacefully and there is no other choice, but even then, it's still not right."

Judy stepped through the door mere moments after any evidence of her anger faded away from her expressions. Silent greetings were exchanged between the two before Tao picked up on Judy's uneasy aura around her. "What's wrong Judy? You seem, on edge" With no words, the small lapin pulled out her phone, unlocking it and showing the text she had recieved from a unknown number. The same word rung in Tao's mind, 'Prey'. She knew now, for certain that this group had played some involvement in Nick's supposed death, and that the longer they remained in this apart, the more vulnerable they both were. Foxden was their next stop, it was their only choice - but doing so would mean having to face her past, especially Allete.

"Judy, I don't think we're safe here anymore, we should probably head to my hometown Foxden - whoever that is might lose us there. As well as that, the river where Nick was presumed dead flows straight to Foxden, he could be there waiting for someone for all we know. We should go now though" Judy was too eager to disagree, nearly everything that Tao had said seemed to match her own thoughts - for after the message the small lapin definitely felt that staying in Zootopia was not the safest choice. Rushing into her room, she gathered any necessities she would need on her journey, and went to make her way out with Tao beside her. With a few quick glances back in memory, she left the building and got into small car just big enough to transport her and Tao, and maybe one or two others. Finally rembering that she still hadn't put on another shirt since leaving the soaked one on the bank, she rummaged through her pack and took out a small white dress like fabric with what appeared to be a pink butterfly print over the chest. She sighed after putting it on, before she heard Tao make a comment.

"That's a beautiful little dress Judy, who got it you?"

"Nick got it for me last year for my birthday. The butterfly wasn't even meant to be on the dress, Nick had to pay extra for this." Judy replied before a yawn made itself known.

"Get some sleep Judy, it's a long drive."

AN: So, as you guys and girls can see, the two girls have got a new destination set, and a face from Tao's past is coming back. Nick is still unknown, yet it appears the Mark and the group it belongs to have made contact with Judy, and with both girls a single word seems to stand out, "Prey". In our next chapter, we will see a rather hostile reunion take place, and a new pair of faces shall join our two female heroes. Reviews are massively appreciated - they're what keep me going.


	15. Chapter 15: Author's Notice

Massive apolgy to each and everyone of you loyal readers of mine... I was needing to take a break from everything... because lately - my life has been really dark... I've not really had anything good... And well - I was - at times... beginning to question why I bother to keep living... I've felt like all I've done, is burden people with being there, is drive people away... I've felt like all I don't have a life worth living... Lately, I've been depressed, feeling lonely and isolated... Sure I have some people in my life I can talk to, but... I don't know... Well, the thing is right now I'm still down in my spirits... So... Yea, there wont be an update for a little while longer... How long depends on how long I feel like this... Hope you guys all understand...


	16. Chapter 16: Foxden Arc: Foxden

~I'm not dead, onto the story~

If one thing was certain, it was the danger both girls were in. The golden vixen knew that Foxden wasn't going to be any safer than Zootopia, but she had neither the heart or will-power to share that knowledge with Judy. The poor rabbit had been unintentionally dragged into the dangers associated with the Mark group, and her being of a Prey instead of Predator species wasn't going to help the situation. Deep within the bag of her memories were the times when Nick, Caelum, her and a two lynx's were involved with them, and, worst of all, were the memories of what happened to the other three... The lynx's... The girl was killed, her throat slit infront of them, and her little brother? He was suffocated to death. Caelum, truth be told she didn't know Caelum's real fate, but she knew he was dealt with by one of the higher gang members, so him being dead? Most definitely, but she knew he would've put up a fight, especially since they took his eye.

"How the fuck did they even find any of us?" That was a question she so desperately needed to obtain an answer for. After a few minutes of being lost in thought, she came back to reality upon hearing Judy comment regarding the approaching gates, the entrance to the small town of Foxden. "Judy, stay close to me ok." She requested of the smaller female, who nodded wholeheartedly. Not the second the car entered beyond the gates, Tao's mind flooded with the memories of her life here. The neglect, the bullying, the hatred, even the attack that happened to her. Many muzzles belonged to vulpines and vixens she recognised who, in-turn, also recognised her. Their gazes held different emotions, but many of them were common throughout: disgust, disapproval, disappointment, but there were few that looked almost remorseful, that felt regret for their actions. Whether she could forgive them or not, she wasn't yet sure.

A car park soon came into visible distance of the vixen, and she turned off the main road to park the car there, not being too concerned about it being broken into, afterall, foxes - being a species suffering from prejudice - had respect for the property and belongings of others, so crime in Foxden was practically non-existant, compared to other species hometowns. It felt as though her body was bound to the seat, like she couldn't move from the vehicle once the engine was off. Fear, thats what it was, fear of what could happen to her, of Judy, if they left the saftey of the car, but then again, what would happen to Nick if they didn't find him first? She couldn't think of the fate he'd face, of the abuse and pain he'd be put through again - honestly, how he made it through everything they done to him without wanting to fight back, something like that was a complete mystery to her.

Finally finding her confidence, she opened her door, followed by Judy, and inhaled the lingering scent's of the different foxes in the area, some of them so easily memerable because of their unique little, additions. Either lucky or unlucky - based on how you'd see this situation - the area around them was relatively empty, the odd few anthro's here and there, none of whom were paying the girls any mind. "So, this is Foxden." Tao dully pointed out.

"Different to Bunnyburrow" the rabbit responded with the same dull tone. In truth, both girls were exhausted - the car journey turning out much longer than originally expected, and obtaining a decent and good sleep in a car, moving or not, was very difficult for both of them. Opening back up her car door, she sat down on the chair, feeling her body beginning to grow heavy with exhaustion. Could she actually get a good sleep? She highly doubted. The darkness that was her past with the Mark had grown, slowly corrupting her subconscious to give her more nightmares than dreams. Into which realm would she fall this time? Nightmare it was, a vivid replayment of some of the darkest moments of her time as a 'Marked'.

-Flashback-

"Care to fucking repeat?" The growl shook her soul, despite not even being directed towards her, but it was directed towards someone dear in her heart. Caelum.

"Yea, go fuck yourself." The repeating of his earlier comment earned him the painful punishment of having his face smashed back onto the glass table in another non broken part, but he never relented, never cried out. The attacked pulled his face back, seeing it covered in even more cuts and shards than before, causing the entire room to grimace at the sight. His heavy breathing to slow his panicing heart and faint pained whimpers earned him more of a beating.

With a growl, he picked up a small hammer. "Fucking little bitch wanna act tough, but starts crying... Man the fuck up and take the beating like a fox" With that he brought the blunt end of the hammer straight down upon his right eye area.

"Fuck!" Caelum struggled to keep his pained cries from sounding, but each and every swing and impact from the hammer made it impossibly tougher. There was little doubt he'd ever see out of that eye again, little doubt that there'd even be an eye left by the end of it. The blunted weapon was covered in blood, and where Caelum's right eye used to be was a massive bloodied cave in - quite literally. Broken bone, rivers of blood, even some of the veins in his now destroyed eye were splattered across the surface of the skin and the flesh. It was a sight to give anyone nightmares, to make anyone who hated blood throw up.

"Thats enough, Troan, I think his learned his lesson." One of the 'high-end' foxes ceased the attack before Caelum was killed, though whether he'd survive, maybe it might've been better for him to have been killed, there was no-way he'd wake up, no way he'd survive... But he did, he pulled through, and he certainly didn't learn his lesson. They wanted to bad to help him, but there were nine of the 'Marked', and four of their 'initiates'

"Anyone else need to be punished?" He asked the 'high-end' who nodded and pointed to the young male lynx.

"Abby wanted to see him."

"Let me guess, she gon- Shit!" Caelum howled, feeling the fox push one of his claws into the hole his hammer made earlier.

"Shut the fuck up already... Fucking hell" the guy was definitely annoyed at Caelum, the sky grey fox still hadn't passed out, and was still trying to speak when obviously no-one wanted him to.

She felt a paw grab her bindings around her own. "Lets fucking go" the other vixen hissed, leading Tao back to the small room being used to accomodate all five of the "initiates". Roughly, she undid the bindings and threw her onto the bed, hissing in disappointment at something Tao hadn't yet figured out. "Fucking high-end's get all the fucking fun." She grumbled before stepping aside to allow the one holding Nick to chuck said fox inside, closely followed by Lucy, the female lynx. A minute later and Caelum was thrown inside, but Lyon was still not back.

-Flashback ended-

She awoke back to reality from the nightmare, silently thanking whoever it was that awoke her before it continued any farther, though once she saw who was responsible, she couldn't help but feel her paws clench tightly. The vixen who caused so many problems for her so long ago, the vixen who ruined her life. She got out of the car, her eyes narrowed and expression flooded with anger and hatred.

"What. The. Fuck. Do. You. Want. Allete?" She paused slightly after each word, hoping her old 'friend' could easily tell she still hated her guts and wanted nothing to do with her. Judy, sensing the confrontation about to take place, done the wise thing and just kept out of it, she definitely didn't plan to get caught in any crossfire between the two vixens.

"Look, Tao" Allete took a step too close, earning herself a rough slap across the face that brought her to the floor. "Damn it! Come on Tao! Please!"

"Please?" She raised her paw again, this time with her claws extended. The anger was blinding her, making her forget about Nick, about one of the promises he asked her to keep. "Never hurt someone unless you have to.. Don't become a 'Marked'" With no thoughts in her mind other than, 'Beat this bitch the fuck up' she brought down her paw towards the downed vixen's head.


	17. Chapter 17: Foxden Arc: Formin friends

There the vixen stood, claws poised for the pain she wanted to cause the girl at her feet, whom eyed her in fear. After how much trouble she had caused, ruining her life, driving Nick away and even attempting to flirt with him after she broke them up... She deserved what she had coming to her. But that fox, the fox they were looking for to rescue and bring home, he was in the back of her mind, and in the centre of her heart. Nick was more important than anything right now, not just for her, but for the rabbit she travelled with. She stared at the form of Allete, both anger and hatred in her eyes, but also remorse, regret, even the slightest trace of pity. She had never seen her look so weak before, she had never seen her cower and shield herself, from anyone, especailly her - and it never made her feel powerful of anything of the likes, it made her feel angry at herself. The Marked relied on the fear they instilled into the hearts of others, they relied on making their foes cower and whimper, like she had just made Allete do.

'Am I really doing this? I'm not a Marked' Her eyes softened, her claws retracted and her tensed arm relaxed, though she still hated the living daylights outta her. Instead, what she done next surprised both her and Allete, she grabbed her paw and lifted her to her feet, then gave her a stare that said 'I still fucking hate your living guts, but beating the shit outta you ain't going to happen... Yet' Allete read the message in the stare and gulped audiably, then her shaking voice squeaked out from her maw in stutters.

"P-p-p-please.. T-T-Tao, I-I'll do a-anything... I-I-I'm so s-sorry.. I-I re-realised w-what I h-had done a-after Nick left, t-then you l-left s-shortly afterw-afterwards... I-i've hated m-myself a-all these years..." With a sigh, Tao just looked at Allete with a softened stare, then she spoke up herself.

"Just shut it... I'm not here because of you."

"T-t-t-then w-why a-are you here?"

"Nick's gone missing... And me and Judy" she gestured to the lapin "NEED to find him FAST" she empahisied on the 'need' and 'fast' hoping Allete would take the hint that their mission was important.

"N-Nick's m-missing? T-that explains t-the small group o-of foxes w-who stopped b-by mine two days ago... As-asking about him."

"What?" Now she was scared, not just for her, Judy and Nick but even Allete - as much she hated her.. Getting involved with the Marked was something she wouldn't wish on her. That group.. They had nothing to lose, and they'd do anything to anyone to get what they wanted.. "W-what were they like? D-did they do anything?"

"N-no, t-they didn't hurt me o-or anything. I-I couldn't see anything a-about them, they a-all had hoodies on.. B-but t-those hoodies had a symbol on."

"What symbol? Like this?" She pulled out the piece of paper that had the Marked symbol drawn onto its surface. 'Please say no'

"Y-yea.. Y-you know them?" She nodded while looking around for any signs of a Marked.

"Yeah, they're not a good group. As much as I hate you, you should probably stick with me and Judy. Trust me, you're not safe by yourself now." Her ears were twitching at the littlest sound, anxiety and worry seeping throughout her veins and arteries, inflicting the muscles in her body to tense, almost as if she expected a fight or a chase.

"W-what? Why?"

"I'll explain when we're somewhere safe, just trust me for now. You're in danger, we all are." Confused massively, Allete just nodded and followed Tao and Judy as they walked throughout the streets of Foxden, leaving the empty carpark behind in search of a safe place to spend the coming nights and days, "Allete... Never fucking thought I'd ask this but is there room in your place for me and Judy? I know you moved out your house not long after the whole... You know.."

The vixen nodded, then shortly remembered a fact unknown to the lapin and her companion fox. "Wait.. We only have two bedrooms, and I'm sharing with another girl who got kicked out her old house by her parents because.. Actually she never told me why come to think of ir... Someone's going to be sleeping on the couch, and someone might have to share a bed... Unless they want to sleep on the floor."

"Of course theres a catch..." Judy chuckled softly, finding it slightly amusing instead of annoying. "I call dibs on the couch" That earned her a stare from Tao, the message of which was something on the lines of 'Fuck you' then some more 'no I didn't mean fuck you as in like.. I meant fuck you, like fuck you.. Oh you get the point'

"Guess I'm sharing a bed then.. I ain't sleepin on the god-damn floor. How much further?"

"We're already here"

"Oh, that was quick." She chuckled, then followed Allete inside the small home, instantly hearing a feminine voice call out from upstairs.

"Allete? That you?"

"Yeah, it's me Abby, can you come down a second?"

"Sure, I'll be down, just gimme a minute."

"Wanna sit down? And get ready to explain what you can Tao?" The vixen gestured to the adjacent living room, into which the trio entered and took a seat at the spaces provided, Tao and Judy taking their seats next to the door, viewing the wall and the mounted TV, while having no peripheal view of anything beyond the door. Allete however, just leaned against the wall - not having a seat she could take - having a view of the base of the stairs and the other two girls. Light footsteps practically glided down the stairs after a few seconds of silence, the sound of paws hitting wood as the other female jumped the last few steps indicating that she was finished with whatever she was doing, and was ready to find out why she had been called down. Her steps were quick and light as she entered, Tao not noticing at first while she pondered how to begin this conversation. This 'Abby' didn't know anything about them, or Nick, and hopefully nothing about the Marked, so why was she here?

When she finally acknowledged Abby, who had took a seat against the wall on the floor beside Allete, Tao found herself surprised slightly. Abby had unnaturally bright white fur, and seemingly glowing sky-blue eyes, yet there were also some perculiar traits to her appearance. Part of her fur on her back was pink, ranging from the top of her head between and around her ears, and just above her eyes, all down her back to just above the hips, and it almost looked like actual long pink hair from afar. It was strange indeed, but actually, it almost seemed to suit her. She looked, judging from the way she was crouch-leaning, probably around her age, minus a year or two, but also she gave off the impression of a big kid, playful, innocent, and just trying to have fun and make the most of life, she seemed so relaxed and laid-back. At the time she was wearing light grey knee length shorts, and a matching grey top with a seemingly custom designed 'ABBY' with hearts and fox paws making up the shapes of the letters, quite ingenious. She was definitely a beautiful girl, that much was certain, and Tao hoped that she hadn't any history with the Marked.

"Who these girls?"

"The fox is Taotake Kitsing, an.. Old friend" She chose her words carefully regarding the fox, "and the rabbit is Judy Hopps."

"Hey"

"Hi"

"'Sup" She then turned to Allete again. "Ok, now explain whats going on please."

"That's Tao's job, I know nothing" The white fur vixen then leaned forwards slightly, elbows on her knees and her head resting in her paws, eyes wide in curiousity, and patient eagerness, almost like a kid waiting eagerly for someone to start telling their favourite story, and it earned a soft giggle from Judy at just how cute but funny she looked doing that. Her head tilted in her paws ever so slightly, an ear flopping lazily onto her head, as Tao cleared her throat to regain her composure, and shortly afterwards began to speak.

"There's only so much I can... Tell you right now..but Allete, that group who knocked here for Nick, their members of a massive gang that don't have a good reputation in the slightest... Their extremely dangerous. Nick's gone missing, we NEED to find him before they do.. They'd probably kill him, or torture him."

"Shiiiiiiiittt, sounds bad" Abby deadpanned, then almost instantly perked up at the idea that came to her mind "You guys need any help? Really, I'm a good fighter, and I'm not too bad at tracking."

"No, it's too dangerous Abby" Tao quickly intervened, deseperate to not have another unfortunate poor soul dragged into this deadly quest of theirs, yet apparently, the mention of extreme danger seemed to only strengthen her wanting to come.

"Pleaseeeee? I want an adventure, and dangers the thrill I need in my otherwise boring life." She was practically whining. "Come on... I wanna have some fun stories to tell. Besides, on a serious note, you girls might need all the help you can get, so I'm in whether you like it or not." Tao just stared in surprise. 'Is this girl for real? She doesn't know anything about any of this and she wants to help?' While Tao stared at her in shock and confusion, Judy, on the over hand, practically leaped off the sofa and ran to Abby, jumping up and scrambling to her face and hugging her, shocking the snow-white vixen.

"Thank you so much"

"You're... Welcome?" She was still trying to process why this bunny was so emotional 'oh of course.. Bunnies.. Emotionally imbalanced' then she pulled Judy off of her when she refused to let go, "Ok enough hugs rabbit... Now.. Where are they sleeping?"

"Judy's got the couch, and I'm sharing a bed, if it's ok with whoevers bed it is obviously, if it's not I can sleep on the floor."

"You can share my bed." Abby shrugged, "I don't mind."

"Really?"

"Yeah it's fine, obviously only if your comfortable and happy sleeping with another vixen, I'm fine with it."

"You sure? I mean I'm ok with sharing, but only if you're certain it's fine."

"Yeah, it's fine" Abby smiled at Tao, then stood up - after letting Judy climb off of her and back onto the floor - followed the rest who rose to their feet.

"Abby? One second.. How come you never told me why you got kicked out?"

"Because I didn't want you to kick me out as well."

"I promise I won't"

"They kicked me out because I'm a lesbian."

"Really? What kind of parents would do that? Thats never happened in BunnyBurrow. I have over two-hundred siblings, and some of them are gay, bi, lesbian, my mom and dad ain't kicked them out."

"Some parents obviously love their kids enough to see past the fact that they're daughter might end up mating and bonding to another girl, or their son another boy. Mine obviously don't love me enough."

"I don't see what the problem with that is.. If you want to bond and mate with someone of the same sex, then do it, there's no problem in my eyes." Allete placed her hand on the female, who wiped a watery eye then perked up once again. 'This girl is a tough one to read.. One minute she's happy and perked up, next she's sad and ready to cry, then she's back to happy' Tao and Judy both nodded in agreement of Allete, both being supportive of LGBT anthro's.

"You still want to share that bed Tao?" Abby almost seemed nervous now, like she was worried Tao would be angry or something along them lines, but instead, Tao was not bothered.

"Sure"

Some hours passed and the four girls each collectively began to prepare for bed. Living room curtains drawn, and bedroom ones following, all doors locked, the three foxes each went to the respective bedroom they were to sleep in. Though Abby seemed reluctant. "Why did you stay? Knowing I'm into girls? Isn't it weird for you?"

"Nope" was all Tao mumbled while changing her top, back turned to Abby, who was doing the same. "I don't see an issue with it, besides, this ain't the first time I've shared a bed with another girl, first time was a wolfess and the second time was with a alley cat-girl" Tao turned to face her, then instantly turned away, cheeks flush in embarrassment. 'Now it's awkward... I didn't see the other two half-naked' Clearing her mind, she climbed into the bed, and, out of curiousity, glanced over at Abby, who at that very moment was climbing in beside her, wearing a thin vest top and some pyjama shorts Then, it got a little more awkward, as Abby actually pulled themselves closer together.

"Sorry, but this bedroom can get REALLY fucking cold of a night.. And theres not alot of room..."

"It's fine", then, she drifted asleep with Abby.


	18. Chapter 18: Foxden: Nighttime

**~AN: Apologies my Zootopian, I never intended for this chapter to take even half as long as it did, but here it is. In truth, I had Chapter 18 written out ages ago, but whenever I read through it before uploading it, I was never happy, regardless of how many times I changed and made edits to the story, I just was not happy with the chapter as a whole - although there were some smaller parts that I actually enjoyed, so I'll probably include them when I find an appropriate oppurtunity; I just thought 'Fuck it, I'll write a replacement chapter' and thats what this is, so yay a new chapter. Sorry if you don't enjoy it...**

The night was passing relatively undisturbed admist the house; the inside of which held a calm, relaxed atmosphere. It was as though the girls who lived here completely forgot about every bad issue while they slept.. About their pasts, about their dangerous futures, about the deadly group that could no doubt strike them at any second. Allete, Judy, Abby, those three had no history with The Marked, to anyone elses knowledge atleast. Judy came the second closest, having lived with a runaway and now be travelling with another runaway. Tao was, while peaceful, still anxious, nervous. Her body was slightly tense, a gut feeling telling her they were in danger, like she didn't already fucking know that. She hated herself for their predicament, and she would hold herself responsible if ANYTHING bad happened to the other three, including Allete; she might hate her guts, but she doesn't want something bad to happen to her. She thought about the dangers.. Allete was simply housing them, and Abby was simply sharing a bed, but that could make her unintentionally a big target.

A sigh slipped from her lips, the ears of the female behind her twitching but Abby did not stir. There was something about Abby that reminded Tao of Caelum: how she missed that fox. Abby was, almost a little bit like a family member, but they never even knew each other. She was just, so much like he was. She seemed, quiet, shy, but also very approachable, and had an element of being an overgrown kit, looking forwards to adventure and even hoping for some danger. Only difference was, she wasn't sure Abby could handle the danger; she was in no way going to make her feel bad, or useless when she voiced her concern to them in the morning, but she didn't know how well Abby could hold her own in a fight, or if she would be mentally and physically able for this. If she wasn't, and the Marked got ahold of her.. Abby could very well forget who Abby was in less than a week.. The Marked were exceptionally good at breaking animals of any species in short spaces of time, making them forget themselves and just being some blindly loyal servant.

Tao felt a shift in the bed behind her, the other vixen unintenionally closing the small gap between them, then, hardly to Tao's surprise, Abby instinctively wrapped her arms around Tao. 'What did I expect?' She mentally chuckled, having expected the unknowning and unintentional 'affection', but she honestly didn't mind; Abby was not lying about it getting really cold in her bedroom of nights, so the extra body heat was highly welcomed. She shifted onto her other side, slowly to not disturb the snowy fox, simply wanting to share more body warmth on the cold night. There was nothing romantic between them: One, they had only just met and neither believed in that 'love at first sight' and two, Abby was lesbian, Tao was straight. The adventuring fox released a surprised gasp when noticing the proximity of them both was closer than she actually anticpated, not to mention that her snout might have accidentally brushed against Abby's, who thankfully didn't stir. 'Fuck.. I knew I should've told Judy to sleep with Abby instead' It wasn't that she disliked Abby, but that she disliked the proximity between them.

A smile had formed over the snow-white vixens features, most likely from either a dream on an instinctual reaction to the contact she just felt; yet Tao quickly took note that her smile morphed into a frown mere seconds later, her features scrunching up as though she suddenly became distressed. Almost silent whimpers were slipping from her lips, her body ever-so-slightly shaking, ears flattened against her head. Not understanding why her sudden change had occured, Tao just attempted to comfort the girl by wrapping her own arm around her; sharing a comforting nuzzle into her neck in hopes to ease whatever discomfort she felt. "It's alright, nothing can hurt you." She whispered, and smiled when she saw Abby's features relax, forming back into the content, happy smile she bore earlier. She didn't know why she had reacted to her like that, but she dubbed it down to Abby reminding her so much of Caelum that she just reacted the same way. Tao had always been the protective 'don't fuck with me or my friends' type, always the girl to hold herself responsible for the saftey of those she cared for, and there had been a few incidents in the past where animals found out the hard way why they shouldn't fuck with Tao's friends, because she won't let them get away; except the Marked were a different story, there is always a bigger predator, and the Marked were undoubtely high on the theoretical food chain.

Sighing once again, she thought about what their future held for them, finding herself asking the question if they'd find Nick, if anyone would get hurt, if anyone would even come back at all. She feared for their lives, feared someone could die, or worse, be captured by them. As her mind was occupied with these shadowy thoughts, she failed to notice Abby had stirred from sleep and was looking at her with concern in her eyes. "Tao?" Her voice whispered out, laced with worry.

"Huh? W-what?"

"You're troubled.. You seem, scared."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"There were whimpers, very quiet but definitely there, not to mention your body is tense and you just simply looked worried.."

"I-I'm fine, honestly."

"You're not, I'm good at reading people, and you're far from fine... You're worried about the rest of us ain't you? Worried about what could happen to any of us.. I promise I'm not weak, I can handle this.. And if I do get kidnapped by this group, they won't be able to break me...I hope..." The last part was whispered so quietly Tao barely understood it, but she didn't bother to question it.

"It's just a really dangerous journey for us all."

"Yeah, I know.. Like I said, I want some thrill in my life.. I want my story to be interesting, not just 'she lived a good life, then got bullied for being a lesbian, got thrown out, cheated on, then taken in and lived a normal life'"

"Abby you're story could end at any point. I can't bare the thought of someone's death on my paws."

"Tao, of I die it won't be your fault. You're not responsible for me, not for Allete, not for Judy. We're volunteering for this, you haven't just assigned us to help you. This is a team now. A team of two pairs complete strangers to the other, but a team that will find a way to work together. I ain't afraid of death, or whatever could happen, and you shouldn't be the one responsible for us. If I lose a leg, my fault. If I lose and eye, my fault. If I lose my life, my dignity, my arm, anything, its MY fault, not yours." Abby cracked a small smile upon her features. Maybe she was right, maybe she was wrong and trying to ease the burden on her, Tao couldn't be sure but she was thankful either way. Tao allowed a smile of her own to replace her previous frown, grateful for Abby's consideration. "C'mon, lets get some sleep."


	19. Chapter 19: Found

**~Sorry to anyone who still waits to read this Story, and those who care about it, just had some writers block and some lacking inspiration with this story for a bit. Apologies if you're dissappointed in this chapter..~**

~Nick's POV~

How long.. How long had I been out here? How long had I been away from her? It was too long.. Way too long.. How I wanted to be back at home.. How I wanted to be holding Judy so close, to feel her soft touch.. To hear her voice again.. How long had I been out here, all alone? Weeks? Months? I lost track of time since the river.. Food was becoming increasingly scarce, but I stuck to the water.. The longer I was out here.. The longer Judy would be safe.. When my trail had gone cold, when she was genuinely safe, I'd go home.. I'd explain, but I wouldn't expect forgiveness, for her to take me back.

So weak.. My legs struggled under the weight of my body, day by day my strength fading, my life slipping away from my desperate grasp. If I was dead, Judy would be safe, if I was alive and missing, she was safe.. As long as I wasn't with her, she was safe.. She could be happy.. She could be.. I could feel everything growing weaker, my legs collapsing beneath the weight of my almost skeletal body as I succumbed to unseen weights forced upon my back and limbs. "Judy..." I whimpered, wishing that none of this had happened, that I could be with her.. That was all I wanted.. To be back home, holding her so tightly. Cuddling, loving, being with her. Not here, lost, alone, scared.. Damaged, broken, defeated. I could feel the tears prickling at my eyes, my vision blurring as they amassed against the invisible barrier.

"Judy... I miss you so much.."

I struggled to push myself forwards, trying to raise myself to my feet; only to collapse against a tree, falling to the floor with tears flowing. Everything was beginning to become unbearable, pain intolerable. How I missed everyone so much.. I don't remember what happened to my phone, I don't really remember much after the river. A wince, and I soon felt droplets of crimson blood sliding from just below my shoulder, a cut somehow re-opening. I wasn't in any danger of bleeding out, so I just ignored it and coped with the stinging feeling it created. The night was coming, days last lights fading behind a forlorn veil of blackness. No stars, not even the moon was out to be seen.. So much darkness descended upon the forest.

An uneasy feeling swarmed throughout my form, the silence and darkness of the forest so unnerving, so unwelcoming. This felt.. Perfect for a horror movie.. Unnervingly perfect.. The weakened, vulnerable victim, alone in the forest, unable to protect itself against the monster that hunts it... Heh, now I thought about it.. That's basically what my life right now was. These words, I knew that they had a history, a creepy history that felt so stupid and made up; though now I was in here, it felt so real. No-one who came into this part of the forest, who came beyond the chain fences; not one of those animals ever came back.. Not even armed ZPD officers.

The cracking of a tree branch in the distance made me freeze up entirely, voices, so weak and quiet carried on the silent winds, unable to be made out clearly. My heart was racing, it was all I could hear in the defeaning silence. Was it just wondering animals? Was it Marked? Was it? I just wanted to start crying.. Thats all I wanted to do right now, cry and wish nothing was so fucked up. Wish I fucking didn't waste my fucking time on the run and I just stood up to my past.. The Marked needed to be stopped anyway.. I felt so fucking stupid! The ZPD could've actually helped, but then again, I didn't want to put anyone in danger.

When you became a Marked member, you more or less just sold your soul straight to the Devil, you were almost instantly put on a 'Use Lethal Force' list, but that didn't mean Marked wouldn't use lethal force either. "Fate be kind and help me." I whimpered, hugging my knees to my chest. Branches snapped closer to me; I went quite, so silent, even held my breath. Hopefully, I could remain out of mind. If nothing knew I was here, othing would bother searching specifically for me.

"Nick's not going to be out here.. I tell ya, fucking boss has us wasting our time in these creepy as hell woods"

"I don't like these woods anymore than you Cali, but boss wants Nick... Alive.. You know he doesn't trust many other people.. Why you think he only sent a few of us out? The others would probably kill Nick."

"I know, but I just wish we didn't get dumped in freak central. Why couldn't he have had us hunt the girls? They'd probably be easier to find than this fox anyway."

"Really? Me and you? Hunting girls? Jeez.. Never thought you'd prefer hunting girls then a guy.."

"What's that supposed to mean?" They were moving closer, my eyes were getting heavier.. I was going to pass out from exhaustion soon.

"Well, when we hunt guys they actually give us a fight, which you oh so love. The girls just kick and scream until they get gagged and knocked out, which isn't any fun.."

"I guess.. It is more interesting when they fight back.. Makes dragging their unconscious body back to base more worthwhile." God.. I forgot how terrible Marked were.. It was some, collective thing, delight in the pain of others.

"Atleast the new boss has SOME level of respect and dignity.. I'm on his side.."

"What? Oh, about not doing what the old Marked used to do to all their prisoners? Yeah, that was too far."

"I mean, I know it was things like that which made us so feared, but still.. We've kept our fear-factor without having to break them like that." I highly doubted they had changed all that much.. These pair must've been recently Marked, because I knew for certain they still embraced the old ways. I could feel everything growing even weaker, the world becoming even darker as I fazed in and out.. I wasn't aware I was this exhausted.

"I kno- Wait, I smell blood." 'No... Please... God no... Don't let them...find me...' I succumbed to the weights upon me, my eyes sealing, and my senses fading.. I was offically screwed.. I barely made out their footsteps, and their last words spoken, which made my heart want to stop beating completely. "Well, well well. Look what we have here... Don't worry Nickyboy... You're coming home."


	20. Chapter 20: Into The Forest

**After struggling to create a chapter leading directly onwards from both Nick and the girls last appearance, I'm going to be skipping ahead to when shit actually starts getting interesting again. Inbetween their last appearances, they've just been getting to know each other slightly better, but nothing all that interesting, and some serious impossible detective work so impossible it doesn't even make any sense at all, unless helped by a mystery 'friend' :), so it's not like you've missed anything.**

~Judy's POV~

This was it. Today was the day we officially finally set out to bring Nick home. No turning back. I don't know how she done it, but Abby had somehow figured out a rough area of the forest where Nick had been most recently. The girl was a hard one to read and understand, so many secrets hiding away behind a ever-changing mask of different emotions: joy, excitement, dissappointment, sadness, even the very odd times when they all mixed together somehow to form.. I don't even know. Chills were running down my spine as I looked at the opening in the fence, questioning eyes darting between it and Abby. Was she being serious? She thought Nick was in there? The Restricted Zone?

Tao piped up, clearly unsure about whether Abby understood what she was silently saying we had to do. "Look, Abby... I know you said you wanted danger in your life.. But you can't be serious? This place? You know that no-one who ever goes in there comes back out. Who has any idea whats in there." I could hear her taking hesistant steps away, my own inclinded to join her.

"Yes.. Besides, Tao it's not as true as all that. The whole 'no-one who goes in there ever comes back out' isn't true. There's been loads of anthro's going in and out of there. You just have to avoid the heart. Thats where they really are."

"Where what really are?" Abby simply shrugged with a half-smile.

"Feral wolves probably." 'How is she so calm about this?' Whatever's hiding in there is alot more dangerous than some simple savage wolves. Armed.. ARMED ZPD had gone in there and none ever came back out; by armed I also mean with lethal weaponary, not simple stun-guns. We didn't even have a stun-gun.. We were defenseless.. I mean, what would fighting skills accomplish against something that makes trained and armed anthro's with guns dissappear forever. Probably an even more painful death.

"So... Who first?" I could hear in Allete's voice she wanted to be anywhere but here, not that anyone could blame her. With eyes so wide it almost hurt, I watched Abby practically rush ahead.

"Oh she's gonna get herself killed." I groaned, facepawing before rushing in after her, the others hot on my tail. "Abby!" Somehow, in those split seconds of her headstart we had already lost the girl. Well this was off to a terrific bloody start wasn't it? "Abby!"

"Girls.. No need to shout.. You want to lure them here?" I looked up the tree to see Abby sitting atop one of the branches; I blinked rapidly multiple times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Nope, she's definitely climbed a big, tall tree, and sat on a branch in less than a second.

"How? What? When?" We just looked up at her surprised at how quickly she had done that.

"How on earth did you climb that tree all the way up there so quickly?" The female in the tree gestured with her head at nothing, then laughed slightly as if knowing something we didn't.

"Magic" She giggled, dropping down from the height and landing flawlessly on her paws, smiling like a giant kid. "I told you I loved adventures. All we gotta do is find the curled tree.. Oh and avoid the feral's." She stated like it was obvious. Well... I mean, for the wolves - or whatever it really is - yeah, that was obvious, but how would any of us know it had anything to do with a curled tree? She trudged through the undergrowth, us keeping pace with her in comfortable silence, but all the same a strong aura of uncertainty and fear radiated from our forms. The girl would never show it or admit it, but I could feel the fear practically flowing like a waterfall off of her; not that I could blame her. I couldn't stress enough how much of a risk we were taking; the second we passed that opening we basically just played our final blind card in a game we were destined to lose unless by some incredulous level of insane luck that card was an Ace.

Travelling through the thicker undergrowth also meant less light, which meant more limited visiblity, which meant more chance at dying... I had effectively climbed ontop of Abby, not that the female minded, with Tao and Allete quite literally on her tail. The forest grew so dense, sound fading away into unnerving silence as we continued to sneak through the brush.

So quiet, I was so certain all anyone could hear was their racing hearts from the anxiety and adrealine coursing throughout our internal workings; yet somehow a branch snapping so far off echoed in the silence so loudly that everyone went entirely still; even having to use our willpower to stop our ears twitching at even the faintest echo. Something was definitely in this woods with us, and I'm pretty sure we didn't want to meet it.

Minutes lolled onwards before we found comfort in the concept of continuing our trek, reminded silently of the quest we were on and it's importance. I had noticed Abby appeared to be following some sort of trail, be it tracks or scent I couldn't tell... I wasn't a predatory species and had no knowledge of those things, even with my vigorous police training - yet I couldn't help but wonder about her. How on earth did she even link Nick to this place? Was it to do with the river? Maybe she was assuming thats what he would've done - considering he was last seen by a river.

In the forest time seemed to fade behind, passing so much quicker than anyone expected. It felt like only a few mere minutes ago we entered here, yet as I checked the time it was already 11:07 PM. How had time gone so quickly? "Errm guys? We've been in these woods for atleast seven hours now."

"Wait? What? Really? It barely even feels like one hour."

"No, she's right... Look through the gap up there." Abby gestured to an opening in the tree's above. "The moon's out... Look's around 11 right now."

"How can you tell?"

"Spent some time in the wilds before, learnt quite a bit thanks to an old friend." She simply shrugged the memory off. "We need a safe spot to sleep. How the fuck did we not realise the time?"

"We're so screwed.." I heard Tao mumble beneath her breath, but I wouldn't agree.. Yet. Maybe there was a small den we could use. Surely Nick would've had to make one at some point.. Right?

"Judy, keep your eyes out for a den we can use." Allete read my thoughts exactly. With a nod of understanding, I diverted my attention to finding a place for us to stay tonight, though I had no idea about how long we'd be out away from home, or how far.. We'd cross those bridges when we came to them, having some provisions packed wiith us and others back at Allete's house.

As we kept walking, my eyes kept desperately scanning for a safe zone from the darkness in the fading light of day, becoming increasingly discouraged at every failed attempt. The dead silence. - save for the rustle of fallen leaves as the foxes stepped over them - was suddenly pierced by the unmistakeable howling of deadly Timber Wolves echoing throughout the forest, the angry growls and sounds of Wolves that were not only just angry, but judging by how deep they were, how guttural and intimidating, they were very big even for Timber Wolves, maybe even very big Mackenzie Valley Wolves.. 'I really hope we don't bump into these guys.'

We were looking around frantically for a hiding place, noting that the howles seemed much closer than we would've liked, and you'd never understand how thankful I was that we found one. A thick tree branch had been used to poorly hide the entrance of a den. "There." I whisper-shouted. If those... Things were close, shouting would only lure them to us. Atleast, I think that's how Wolves worked, but hey, wha'da'ya know? I'm just a dumb bunny... I missed Nick.. Oh right, focus, impending doom.

The foxes had rushed over and quickly moved the branch, clamouring into the den; thankfully still very sercure, before laying the trunk back in place as quietly as possible. The rustle of leaves and harsh stomp-like footsteps began to grow, and we held our breath and waited silently. "Won't they smell us?"

"No, they shouldn't really be able to smell us over the trunk. Hopefully." We curled up next to each other and laid down, eyes fixated on the small gap from which we could see the outside world. Harsh, deep, threatening guttural growls grew louder each passing second, before a group or massive, pitch black wolves stalked across, stopping to sniff the air. These guys were definitely feral, and they were absolutely massive, even if they were the Valley Wolves.

They stalked off along the path we had just came, still communicating with savage growls and snarls as they went. "Those things were huge."

"Those thing's were also meant to be extinct.. How the fuck? No wonder this place is known as Dire Forest.. Those things were Dire Wolves. How in all of Zootopia are they not extinct?"


	21. Chapter 21: The Voice

~Nick's POV~

My head felt like two elephants had dropped a van on it, then sat on the van, it was painful - enough to lure faint whimper's from my vocals. Darkness was swarming my vision, even when I opened my eyes, I could barely make out the outline of the walls of the room.. This was not where I had passed out. Where the hell was I? I felt straps around my wrists and ankles, stopping me from moving off the chair I was on; very tight and secure, they didn't even budge at all when I struggled against them..

My breathing slowly began to quicken, becoming shallower as elements of panic began to set in. Where the heck was I? There was no light at all, no window, no light coming from outside. I could barely see my own snout. I thrashed violently against the restraints, to no avail. Every passing second, the panic slowly got more prominent, quicker, harsher breaths bordering on hyperventilating as my thrashing only grew more wild against the immoveable restraints.

"You keep struggling like that and you're going to hurt yourself Nickyboy" What? Who said that? I scanned the eye's, my predatory vision still struggling against the intense darkness to pick out any living creatures. The voice was deep, a growl, but offered no elements of hostility. My body ceased all movement almost instantly, not due to their warning, but as fear completely paralyzed me.

"W-w-who a-are you? W-where a-am I?" My voice failed me, choaked whimpers with anxiety and distress littering the strength-devoid tone. Still no shape moved, the speaker must've been either behind me or on the other side of the door.

They sighed, and spoke with the same, emotion-empty voice. "So many questions.. All you ever did, or do, is ask, but never answer." I racked my brains, trying to find an identity to which this voice could've belonged. It sounded familiar but all the same completely unknown. No words came out of my mouth for a response.

"No witty comeback? I'm almost dissappointed.. You were always full of witty comebacks. That vixen has changed you." What were they on about? She had.. Wait.. Tao? He hadn't seen her since they got away. What vixen had changed him? The only vixen he knew since the Marked was Tao, but even then they hadn't spoken until so recently when she found his number. Not even any of his family had spoke to him since the Marked incident..

"Hah, now.. I bet you're racking your brain for who I'm talking about, because you know it's not Tao; not forgetting that you've not seen any of your family or friends since your getaway." Eyes wide, my gaze fixated at the door, fear dancing in my orbs and parading itself through my statue-still body. Was I talking to a fucking mind-reader or something! "No, I'm not a mind-reader Nickyboy." 'WHAT THE HECK?' "Oh come on, no need to scream is there."

'Ok, their a bloody telepathic person or something.'

"Not telepathic either coppa." This time, the voice had almost, what I could only guess was meant to be a faint, under-the-breath type of chuckle. "Now, as I was saying previously. You've changed Nick.. You don't even remember who you are. That stupid, little dumb bunny of a cop your pathetic whipped ass 'fell' for." The voice faded into a dangerous growl, full of power.

"Fucking leave Judy out of his!" I snarled, snapping away the fear as anger slowly began to bubble up. Judy has done NOTHING wrong. It's not fair for her of ALL peoplento be dragged into this! "She has fuck all to do with this! Leave her alone or fucking help me when I finally get my hands on you, you're going to be blind, deaf, and speechless for the rest of your goddamn pitiful life!" As quickly as all my courage, strength and anger had arrived, it dissipated into fear once again.

"Oh there we are!" The voice boomed, cheerful and an element of joy laced in with tje still deep growl. "There's the rage of the fox we all knew and liked."

Glaring back at the door with forced intensity, I rebuttled. "You have a very fucked up sense of liking someone if you torture and beat everybody. You guys are fucking sick in the head. I can't wait till the ZPD finally put all you fuckers down." My own words were shocking me. Only a few moments ago my voice was little more than a strained whimper, but upon hearing Judy's name, something in me had sparked.

"Ohhh, savage." It almost laughed in amusement of my words, negating the intended meaning and brushing off my anger like it was invisible dust on a suit. "You know, Nickyboy. The boss raised a great question not too long ago.. He said 'how long do you think the Rabbit will last before she breaks?' I'm very eager to find out. I don't think she'll last long."

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" I roared, attempting to lunge at the door and rip it open as the restraints temporarily slipped from my mind - painfully coming back into existence for me when they burnt against my fur and forced me back.

Completely unfazed by any of my rage, the voice continued non-chalantly. "I'm eager to hear what a Rabbit sounds like screaming in pain. Or how sensitive their ears are, and sturdy." Fire's of anger began to burn in my eyes, but such rage was extinguished by my own tears that threatened to spill. "I wonder how strong they are, can they take as much as foxes or cats? Or will her little, weak form break apart under the pressure."

I thrashed violently, howling in anger and pure, unmistakeable hatred. "DON'T! YOU! DARE! TOUCH HER!" My body was radiating with the frustration flowing through my veins, my anger infused heart thumping against my chest.

"Aww, you're so protective.. It's almost cute." Emotion-empty, unfazed, unmoved by the borderline feral instincts I was embracing. No-one. No-one! Lays a paw on Judy! No-one hurts her! "You know.. I think we'll let you watch.. I bet you can already picture it can't you? Your cute, weak, vulnerable little girlfriend.. Screaming her tiny lungs out in pain, and all you can do is sit there.. Helpless and watch."

My paws clenched into fists, my lips curling into a wild snarl like an alpha wolf whose just been challenged. It only seemed to elicit a soft, amused laugh from the one outside, who, after a few seconds replied to a comment unheard by me. "Well.. I'm afraid our little chat is over Nick, boss tell's me I shouldn't do this too much in one day. I'll see you soon.. Sweet dreams." Over the sound of my feral-side, I could hear the creature walk off, leaving me alone with the loud clang of a metal door, followed by the click of the lock.

Almost instantly, every tiny little ounce of.. Anything other than pure terror fled from my form, eaten up by the swarming shadows and engulfing darkness. Tears pricked at my eyes and flooded down, sobs, choaked whines, and painful, sharp intake's of breath racking my chest, all interrupting each other to form an amalgamation of the perfect definition of horror, fear and terror.

Forced from my own throat admist the struggled sounds were words so faint and fragile, they appeared to break simply leaving my maw. Nothing coherent could be understood, just broken letter's barely intelligble, and half-pronouced words that faded from sound, seemingly before they had even fully left my mouth.

I just sat there, the subconscious weight of this all forcing my head down, my heart wanting to not even beat, as if it needed it's own time to deal with this fucked situation. When finally I managed coherent, understandable words to utter from my maw, if felt as if I had to subconsciously reach down my own throat and literally drag them out by force.

"Judy... I'm so sorry..."


	22. Chapter 22: Three? Sides

The rabbit awoke with a start, ear's perked up and eyes wide in fear; fur ruffled, dirty and unkempt, the small lapin stumbled up to her feet, desperate not to wake the other girls who slept on the rough forest floor. She looked out the small opening, trying to clear her tortured mind and regain her focus. She feared for all of them, not having no idea what they'd be up against. She had talked with Tao about it briefly last night, before going to sleep.

They were up against the Marked. The reports she read about these guys - as brief and as vague they were - didn't feel to send shiver's down her back. They were a top priority, long before the Missing Mammals event, and since then, some people say they've started to resurface. Anyone found to be a member of the Marked was authorised with 'Use Lethal Force' and 'Shoot To Kill', nothing less. Gang, Crime family, terrorists - that was the most common one lately.

Nobody outside of the Marked knew their intentions, which made Judy only fear for everyone's survival even more. The ZPD officer's themselves were under order's to not investigate Marked group involvements without armed support from the ZSF - Zootopia Security Force. Sometimes the rabbit used to tell herself that the Marked weren't half as dangerous as reports and the like made them out to be - but according to Tao, she should believe the reports.

"How will this end?" Was the main question on her mind, her subconscious constantly forcing her to dream about all the different possibilities, even the one that - in her broken hope - felt like nothing but a fairy-tale outcome of them all coming out of this alive. It was a gut feeling she knew wasn't going to go wrong. The real challenge for them hadn't even started. She stared out into the dark, cloudy sky, lacking any source of light "Nick... I hope you're ok out there... Stay strong baby... I'm coming to get you."

~With Nick~

The restrained vulpine hissed loudly as another fist slammed into his stomach, a violent cough forced from his throat, blood accompanying. Defiant eyes stared back at the assailant, unwilling to break before the Marked. Nick snapped his jaw at the panther, snarling darkly at him, so dark it sent a slight shiver down his own spine. He felt, almost feralised, savage, nothing but pure anger and hatred. The Marked had him again, but this time he had something even more important to fight for, more important than his own life - Judy.

The panther sighed in annoyance of the fox's iron will, punching him in the face with surprising force. "I can do this all night fox." He muttered, cracking his knuckles.

"So can I." Nick forced a smile onto his pained face, furthering to only annoy the panther more.

"Just fucking give up." He landed three consectutive heavy blows to Nick's face, each strike packing so much force he nearly knocked the chair over. "Stop trying to be a hero. You know we'll always win in the end." Nick stared the panther in the eyes, unblinking and unflinching, staring head-on with someone who wouldn't hesistate to kill him in a heartbeat. The restrained male smirked despite his predicament, enranging the Marked member even further. "I swear to god, I'm going to kill you in a minute... You're lucky the boss wants you alive."

The door creaked open, a bear stomping inside. "Has he spoken yet?"

"To be honest I ain't even started asking him questions.. I've been waiting for him to break. I still fucking am." The bear nodded, a slight trace of surprise that Nick apparently hadn't broken yet. Pushing the panther aside, he smirked back at Nick, before clamping his jaw on the foxes shoulder, pressing down slightly, but not applying enough force to break the bones..

Red fur began to stain with blood as Nick cried out, pain radiating off his form, but he didn't relent. Releasing his jaw, the bear stared, eyebrow raised in surprise at the foxes resillience. "This can all stop Nick... We can let you back in the family with open arms. Just tell us where they are." The brown bear snarled, getting uncomfortably close to Nick's face. The vulpine simply smirked back, defiance radiating off him. The panther snapped, clawing Nick's face and barely missing his right eye.

The smirk was quickly replaced by a grimace, the fox gritting his teeth from the pain. "We'll find them eventually Nick.. Just like we'll find your little girlfriend... She'll break easily, she'll tell us.. Even if you won't." The evil smirk on the bears face made Nick's heart skip a beat, a faint glow of fear in his eyes; fear quickly turned to anger, he snarled challengingly towards the duo, eyes narrowing in frustration.

"Leave her alone. Don't you dare.. Don't you. Dare. Lay. A. Paw on her!" He snapped his jaw at them, growling like a lion challenging another one. The panther's expression of hatred morphed into one of slight surprise at the power and venom in his vocals, having almost never even heard that amount of power come from a bear, nevermind a simple red fox like Nick. "Sooner or later.. You fucker's are gonna get found out, and the ZPD will come crashing down on you."

"The ZPD don't know shit about us. As far as their concerned, the Marked are all dead, and as a matter of fact, we have you to thank for that Nick." The sheer thirst for violence that had built within Nick's expression submerged itself beneath layers of confusion. The bear simply laughed knowingly, keeping the information from him. The colossal creature began to circle Nick, making the vulpine uncomfortable. "Now tell us where the fuck they are."

"I'll never talk. You'll never find her. She's safe, so is Tao." The Marked duo exchanged glances, silently conversing with each other.

"You're fucking useless, waste of goddamn fur. Just like your shitty excuse of an adopted brother." Nick's expression darkened with frightening, fear inducing terror at the topic being brought to Caelum. "Then again, Caelum actually tried to make up for his insignificance by fighting back. Unlike you." As the last two words left the panther's mouth, he crashed his fist into Nick's face with surprising force, knocking the fox out cold.

~Unknown Speaker~

"We're out of options. We need to move tonight." A small cat commented, holstering her knife on her side.

"We're not ready yet." The fox, whom appeared to be the leader, growled softly, looking the smaller than average feline straight in the eyes.

"But.."

"No buts." He cut her off, "We can't risk it. We ain't got enough animals or weapons for this. We'll wait until they get back. I want to finish this just as much as the rest of us, but we have to be careful.. It'll take him a while to break that fox. We have enough time to get to Nick first." As the fox said this, he pushed the exposed magazine back into the pistol, cocking it and applying the saftey..

"I hope you're right about this.." She looked down, struggling to trust her leader's decision.

"I hope so too." He muttered under his breath, going unheard by the feline and the few other animals whom remained silent. "Don't worry... I won't let us down." He offered in the most reassuring tone he could muster.


End file.
